Let them eat treats

The holiday season can feel like an “eat-a-thon.” ’Tis the season to cook, bake and treat ourselves, and food service and bakery operators follow suit with decadent limited-time offers and themed menus.

Today’s health-conscious consumer is looking to literally have their cake and eat it, too. “Better-for-you” treats are in high demand; a prime example is consumers who are looking for foods with fibre that help promote gut health. Research shows that 86 per cent of Canadian adult consumers say they are interested in food with high-fibre content, with 24 per cent willing to pay more for it. This means added fibre can bring more appeal to baked goods – including traditionally indulgent items.

Using whole grain flours is an easy way to make small changes to festive treats while still retaining nostalgic flavours.

Whole Grain Holiday Sugar Cookies
Each 56g cookie has 10 grams of whole grain.
Yields approximately 10 dozen (120) 56g (2 oz) cookies

INGREDIENTS:

      (KG)   (G)

• 1      300  Ardent Mills® Bakers Hand™ All Purpose Flour
• 1      350  Ultragrain® White Hard Whole Grain Flour
• 1      875  Unsalted butter
• 2      315  Granulated sugar
•         80    Baking powder
•         40    Salt, fine
•         415   Eggs
•         105   Vanilla extract

PREPARATION

1. Weigh out all ingredients.
2. Preheat convection oven to (350°F).
3. Place butter and granulated sugar into mixing bowl; cream on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Add egg and vanilla extract to the well-creamed butter mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Add flour mixture to main dough in three stages. Mix well and scrape down bowl often to ensure an even mix. Remember: Do not eat the raw dough!
7. Form mixture into several dough balls of a similar size. Lightly flour a surface and rolling pin, and then roll each dough ball to a thickness of 3 mm (1/8”).
8. With your favourite floured holiday cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. Gather and roll the leftover dough.
9. Place cookies on parchment-lined sheet pans 25 mm (1”) apart.
10. Sprinkle and decorate cookies with coloured sugar before baking, or frost and decorate after baking.
11. Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden in colour.