Healthful Recipes
	Desserts

	Gingerbread Window Cookies

Making them is fun — almost as much fun as eating them.

2-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. light margarine, softened
1/3 C. molasses
1 egg or equivalent egg substitute
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
1 T. vinegar
30 pieces assorted hard candies, such as fruit-flavored, cinnamon, butterscotch, or sour balls
Vegetable oil spray
Flour for rolling dough

1. In medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, cream sugar and margarine with electric mixer on medium.
3. Beat in molasses, egg substitute, applesauce, and vinegar.
4. Gradually add flour mixture, beating after each addition. Divide dough in half; shape each piece into a disk.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to 2 days.
6. Meanwhile, sort candies by color if using fruit flavored or sour balls, unwrap them, and put candies of each color in a separate airtight freezer bag. Seal bags and place on flat surface, such as cutting board. Using flat side of meat mallet or clean hammer, crush candies into small pieces (not into powder). Keep crushed candies in airtight bags until ready to use.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line four baking sheets with aluminum foil; spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
8. Lightly flour a flat surface. Roll one chilled dough disk to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out your favorite shapes (3-1/2 inch cutters make about 40 cookies), such as hearts for Valentine's Day. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Using a smaller cookie cutter (circular cutters 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter work well) cut a shape out of center of each cookie, cutting all the way through dough. Remove cutouts. Lightly place small cookie cutter back where you cut out dough. Spoon about 1-1/2 teaspoons crushed hard candies over area within small cookie cutter. Remove cookie cutter (candies should mound slightly above cutout). Repeat with remaining dough and candies. (Dough scraps can be mounded together and re-rolled.)
9. Bake for 6-9 minutes, or until cookies are firm but tender and candies have melted. Let cool on cooling racks for 15 minutes. Refrigerate leftover cookies in airtight container for up to 1 week, separating layers of cookies with wax paper.

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YIELD: 20 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING: Calories, 243; Cholesterol, 2 milligrams; Sodium, 272 milligrams; Fat, 1 gram; Protein, 4 grams; Carbohydrates, 53 grams; Dietary Fiber, 1 grams