The holiday season is one of the toughest times of the year to stick to your guns and eat healthy foods. With parties galore, rich food and drink, and plates of holiday cookies, resisting temptation can be nearly impossible. One of the best ways to get through is by not denying yourself of all the goodies; just do everything in moderation. Another good idea is to take some holiday favorites and make them a little healthier. While these cookies aren’t totally guilt free, they are packed with good things like oatmeal, nuts, and nutritious sweet potatoes. That means that you can eat them in good conscience knowing that you are getting some beneficial nutrients as well as a tasty holiday treat.
Makes approx. 7 Doz. cookies
Prep time 15 min.
Bake time: 15 minutes per batch
Ingredients:
¾ Cup margarine or butter, softened
¼ Cup granulated sugar
¼ Cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 Cup of finely grated sweet potato (uncooked)
3 Tablespoons of undiluted orange juice concentrate
2 Cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of sea salt
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
1- ¼ Cups of quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1 Cup of butterscotch baking chips (if you don’t like butterscotch use peanut butter chips)
1 Cup of freshly grated coconut (or unsweetened flaked coconut)
1 Cup of toasted pecans, coarsely chopped)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease baking sheets
In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugars. Cream together until mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the egg and orange juice concentrate and mix thoroughly.
Fold in grated sweet potato.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add to creamed mixture a little at a time until thoroughly combined.
After mixture is well-combined, use a large spoon to stir in oats, butterscotch chips, coconut, and pecans.
Drop batter by rounded teaspoon onto prepared baking sheets leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 13 to 16 minutes or until cookies are set and bottoms are lightly browned.
Let cool for 1 minute on baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before storing.
Tips and hints: If you don’t like pecans, any nut can be used in their place as long as they are chopped. For an extra bit of flavor, try adding a few raisins to the mixture.