As you already know, I love trying new recipes.  Most of the time I try a recipe based on a sample I enjoyed, made by someone else.  Other times, I just try a recipe based on the ingredients, and a picture of the finished product.

This time I was looking for some “light and healthy” cookie recipes, to cater to some of my guests who are dieting, yet wish to satisfy their sweet tooth.

The Ginger-Lemon Pinwheel Cookies in this post, were one of the ones I decided to try.

The picture looked very appealing to me, and the ingredients did not call for anything out of the ordinary, so it sounded like a great choice.

Normally I only share successful recipes, but even though I was slightly disappointed with the final result of this recipe, I will share it any way, because it might appeal to someone who is looking for low calorie cookies.  Actually, I will probably make these again, and play with the recipe a little.

This recipe yields about 40 cookies @ only 81 calories each.

Ingredients for Ginger Dough:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses (I used dark molasses)
• 1 large egg yolk (save the white for the Lemon Dough)
• 1- 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt – (I used 1/8 tsp)
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground allspice

Directions for Ginger Dough:

1. In a medium mixer bowl, combine butter and brown sugar.
2. Mix about 3 minutes, at medium speed.
3. Add molasses, and egg yolk, and beat until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour and all the spices.
5. Gradually add to the butter mixture, and beat at low speed until combined.
6. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Lemon Dough:

• 8 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg white (saved from Ginger dough)
• 2 tsp. ground lemon rind
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1- 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt (I used 1/8 tsp)

Directions for Lemon Dough:

1. In a medium bowl, mix butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes.
2. Add egg white and beat until blended.
3. Beat in lemon rind and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour with all the dry ingredients.
5. Gradually add to butter mixture, and beat at low speed until blended.
6. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Unwrap ginger dough, roll between two sheets of plastic wrap, into a 13×8 rectangle.  Dough will be quite thin (3/16 inch).
8. Chill for 10 minutes.
9. Roll the lemon dough in the same way, and chill as well.
10. Once chilled, remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the Ginger and Lemon Dough.
11. Stack Lemon Dough on top of Ginger Dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along the long side of the Ginger Dough.
12. Remove the remaining plastic wrap.
13. Starting with the long side without the border, roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion. If you do not roll tightly, you will end up with a whole in the middle of your pinwheel.
14. Seal edges (do not seal ends of roll).
15. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 30 minutes.
16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
17. Unwrap dough roll.
18. Cut with a sharp knife, into 40 slices, about 1/4 inch thick.
19. Reshape rounds.
20. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (wax paper will scorch – do not use).
21. Arrange cookie slices 1 inch apart.
22. Bake one batch at a time, for 8 minutes, or until set and slightly browned.
23. Cool on wire racks.

If anyone tried these cookies before, please share your comments.

Some of my guests actually enjoyed them, even though these cookies are on a denser side, more like biscotti, or as I call them “dunking”  tea cookies.

If you are watching your diet, you definitely would have no guilt having a couple of these, instead of any of my other ones, which are scrumptious, but not so low in calories.

TIP: This would be a good cookie for Phase III in The Fat Smash Diet.

I have been very busy preparing all sorts of “healthful” foods for my first week of the Fat Smash Diet.

This helps me get motivated, and really psyche myself out for the long haul ahead.

I am all set for the next three days, with Carrot Soup,  Brown Rice , Chickpeas Vinaigrette, Fruit Smoothie, chopped raw veggies, and Veggie Burgers.

Since my husband is not willing to join me on this venture, I prepared some regular meals for him, so I can stay out of the kitchen for few days to avoid any unnecessary temptations.

Today I will share the Carrot Soup recipe, which yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 10 carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp. butter (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 cups (40 oz), vegetable broth (I prepared my own)
• 3 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 Tbs. minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbs of chopped parsley
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup brown rice (I used cooked brown rice)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts pot with water (5 cups), and prepare your own veggie broth, or use ready-made broth.
2. I prepared my own broth by boiling 2 stalks celery, 1/2 onion, 2 bay leaves, parsley root (or parsnip), 1/2 cup of chopped broccoli, 2 tsp. kosher salt.
3. While the veggie broth is cooking, heat a medium saucepan with 1 tsp of olive oil.
4. Add chopped onion, and saute until translucent.
5. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
6. Add chopped carrots and saute additional 10-15 minutes.
7. Combine the sautéed veggies with the veggie broth, and ginger and curry powder.
8. Bring to boil and simmer 30-40 minutes.
9. Remove bay leaves, chopped parsley, black pepper and salt, as needed to taste.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Pour soup into blender, in batches, and puree.
12. Add cooked brown rice.
13. Serve hot, or store in the fridge for future use.

Enjoy.

TIP: I also purred all the other vegetables which I used for the veggie broth, and added them to the soup.  I could not just waste them by tossing them away.

Here is another melt-in-your mouth recipe for your enjoyment.  I chose this one as a finally for this year’s recipes mentioned in my preview of Christmas cookie post.

I am getting myself so hungry for sweets, sitting here today and writing up these recipes and salivating over all the pictures of cookies.    Hopefully you find them enticing enough to make them, and share your comments with all of us in the blog land.

Meanwhile, here is a recipe for Ginger Chocolate Truffles.

This recipe makes about 40 pieces.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese (one package), softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 5 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (1.5 min in the microwave, stirring once halfway through)
• 1 cup toasted, ground almonds (for coating)
• Chocolate sprinkles (optional for coating)
• Cocoa powder (optional for coating)

Directions:

1. Add cream cheese into a large mixing bowl, and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Mix powdered sugar with ginger.
3. Gradually add to cream cheese and mix well.
4. Add melted chocolate, and mix until combined.
5. Cover and chill for at least an hour or overnight.
6. Shape the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls.
7. Roll in almonds, or any other of your favorite coatings.
8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks (if you can keep away from them for that long..).

Tip: My favorite coating is the cocoa powder. These truffles tend to get quite soft is kept out of fridge for a long time.  For best results, please store in the fridge, in an airtight container.