5 Smart Points 106 Calories
Whip up a batch of these effortless gingerbread cookies using just a small amount of butter — and you'll be amazed how the rich flavor and satisfying texture still come through beautifully. A wonderful addition to your festive baking lineup!
I won't pretend to be crazy about gingerbread myself, but Madison absolutely adores mixing the dough, frosting the shapes, and devouring the finished treats, so I prepare them for her each December. I've relied on this lighter gingerbread formula for many seasons, and it turns out flawlessly every single time.
This time around, I decided to transform the cookies into miniature Christmas trees. Forget about dragging out a special cutter — I simply grabbed a kitchen knife and sliced the dough into triangles!
On the subject of holiday treats, the festive season has officially returned! While it's truly a magical time for gathering with loved ones over plenty of mouthwatering food and drinks, it's also the period when most of us tend to gain a little extra weight. Considering holiday pounds affect nearly everyone, why not share the gift of Skinnytaste this year? A present that genuinely keeps delivering!
Christmas Tree-Shaped Gingerbread Cookies
This lighter version of gingerbread cookies calls for just a tiny bit of butter while preserving that signature festive flavor and soft, chewy bite. I reshaped them into Christmas trees this holiday — no cutter needed, just a simple knife to slice triangle shapes!
What You'll Need
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup dark molasses
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
For the Icing:
- 1 1/2 tbsp egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 to 6 drops green food coloring
- colored sprinkles
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Grab a large mixing bowl and cream together the butter, sugar, and applesauce until silky. Blend in the egg and molasses, mixing thoroughly.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and spices together. Pour into the wet mixture and mix well with the mixer. Use your hands to gather everything into one large ball — the dough will feel slightly tacky.
- Rinse and dry your hands, then dust them with flour so the dough doesn't cling. Split the dough into two flat disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Once the dough has rested for 2 hours, fire up the oven to 350°F. Liberally flour your work surface before rolling. Handle one disk at a time, keeping the other chilled.
- Based on the thickness of your rolling and the size of each tree, you'll end up with at least 60 cookies.
- Roll the dough to roughly 1/8-inch thick, dusting with extra flour on top if it sticks. Slice off the ragged edges to form a clean rectangle, then cut the dough into 3 1/2-inch wide strips. Slice each strip into triangle pieces.
- Arrange the triangles 1 to 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silpat. Slide into the oven for 10-12 minutes.
For the icing:
- Stir the egg whites together with the lemon juice. Mix in the powdered sugar until smooth, then drop in green food coloring a bit at a time until you reach your preferred shade.
- If the icing runs too thin, dust in additional powdered sugar; if it's too thick, splash in a touch of lemon juice or water. Spoon the finished icing into a piping bag and decorate once the cookies have cooled completely.
- To dress up each cookie, pipe the icing on one at a time and immediately shower with sprinkles before the icing sets.
Nutritional Details
Yield: 60 cookies, Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Amount Per Serving:
- Smart Points: 5
- Points +: 3
- Calories: 106
- Total Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: g
- Cholesterol: mg
- Sodium: 50mg
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 13.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
posted December 20, 2017 by Gina
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