Healthified 'Lofthouse' Soft Sugar Cookies

December 13, 2020 Amanda Plott

I've basically taken that original tried-and-true recipe and trimmed it down as best I could without losing the amazingness of that cookie.

The first thing I did was swapped out some of the regular flour for some whole wheat white flour. If you're going to be bad, you may as well get some good in there too! At least you can say you had some whole wheat, right?

I also substituted in some sweetener for about 1/3 of the sugar originally called for. Why? Well, if you can get away with less sugar, then why not? For the cookie dough, I used a light butter rather than full fat. Again, if you can get away with it... do it!

I made a few other minor changes as well, and still ended up with a perfectly light and decedent cookie that has over 50 calories less per serving than it's store bought counter part. Plus, I know exactly what in these cookies since well... I'm one that put it all there!

I'm telling you, they taste almost exactly like the original…

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Twists (Air-Fryer)

July 21, 2020 Amanda Plott

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Donuts are a weekly staple in my house. And sometimes, especially these days, I’d much rather make them myself than go out and get them from somewhere. Baked donuts have their place in this world, but being as I’ve fallen in love with my air fryer, I thought I would give donuts a try in it!

These Cinnamon Sugar Donut Twists are every bit as good as ones you’ll get from any local donut place. But, they’re a lot better-for-you being made with far less sugar and oil. They’re sort of a cross between baked donuts and fried donuts. A perfect mix of the two…

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie Bars

March 31, 2020 Amanda Plott

In the midst of chaos, I managed to get my hands on some pretty sprinkles! And what does a girl do with sprinkles? She bakes up a sweet treat and uses the sprinkles for decoration! These Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie Bars are perfectly delicious while being made just a little better-for-you by using whole wheat flour and some natural sweetener in place of sugar.

The best part is, you still get frosting with these cookie bars! Yep, that’s right, these thick, fluffy cookie bars are topped with what I think is a perfect layer of homemade frosting. Not too thick, not too thin, and adds just the right amount of sweetness…

Firecracker Cookies (With Popping Candies!)

July 4, 2018 Amanda Plott

Happy 4th of July everyone! Today I have something very special to share. Many many years ago, before The Skinny Fork was even a shadow of a thought, I had stumbled upon this recipe for July 4th Pop Rocks cookies and they were a HUGE hit with the family. They are bright, colorful, fun, and they pop in your mouth!

It's been a while since I've made those cookies, so I decided it was high time for me not only to make them, but to make a healthified version of them to share. These cookies are a lightly flavored sugar cookie base that's made with some popping candy in the dough. They are then topped off with a lightened up cream cheese frosting and then a bunch more popping candies and festive sprinkles too…

Mermaid Treasure Bagel Crisps

June 9, 2018 Amanda Plott

Ocean week is coming to a close over here, and you know that I couldn't go out without a mermaid inspired treat. Since my daughter currently has an obsession with mini bagels, I thought it would be fun to make a sweet kid-friendly version of bagel crisps. Being as we're going for the mermaid look, I decided to swap a traditional cinnamon sugar topping with a more colorful option.

As you can see, the end result is pretty cute and surprisingly good too! I've never made my own bagel crisps before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But, they turned out perfectly crisp; just the right amount of crunch and chew together…

Santa's 'Magical' Reindeer Poop Cookies

November 30, 2017 Amanda Plott

You know that in the Spring and Summer I'm all about rainbows and unicorns but during the winter months I like to let my imagination go with snowmen and reindeer and all things holly and jolly.

Just the other day my daughter's Elf on the Shelf (Candy Cane) brought my little girl some 'reindeer poop' chocolate mints. And while I thought they were cute and all, they weren't quite the magical poo that I had imagined Santa's reindeer to have. I mean... come on, they guide Santa's sleigh and fly around the world!...