Buttery shortbread. Gingerbread cookies. Candy cane and chocolate treats. The holidays are here! Enjoy these festive indulgences without guilt, but feel free to throw in a few healthier options into the mix.
Swapping in whole-wheat flour for some of the all-purpose is a smart way of getting more fibre. That’s partly why I love these Cranberry Almond Biscotti. It also has wheat germ, which many whole-wheat flours don’t have but is an essential part of a whole-grain. Of course, the delicious taste has a lot to do with giving it a thumbs up. Plus, they’re easy to make and would be lovely packaged up as a gift.
To make holiday baking even easier, check out these five helpful holiday baking tips using canola oil. It even includes a handy canola oil conversion chart. You can actually reduce the amount of fat in a recipe (without sacrificing flavour) by swapping in canola for a solid fat. While this works for many recipes, keep in mind it may not work for all cookie recipes, but you could try a partial substitution.
Using canola in baking recipes makes sense as it’s our local Canadian oil and saves you a few pennies. Canola also has the highest amount of plant omega-3 fats compared to other common cooking oils. Your heart will love that!
A few other recipes to add to your baking repertoire this season:
Lentil Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cardamom – The lentils give these muffins extra protein and fibre.
Carrot Gingerbread Loaf – Adding grated carrots is a tasty way of sneaking in some vegetables.
Lastly, my kids love baking but especially during the holiday. It’s a great way to build memories. Don’t tell them but it’s also a clever way of building their math and reading skills, not to mention making them more confident in the kitchen. If you’ve got kids, get them involved in all the measuring, mixing and rolling fun.
Have a delicious holiday season!
Eat Well…Zannat Reza, RD
Food/health storyteller (RD). Social entrepreneur. Using superpowers to promote health for happiness. Appears on CTV, CBCNN, Global, The Dish and Toronto Star. Follow Zannat @thrive360ZR
