(NAPSA)}—Creating great-tasting holiday treats doesn’t have to mean giving up a healthfullifestyle. A little ingenuity and some wholesome ingredients can go a long way toward continuingto follow a healthy diet and still enjoy traditional baked goods—deliciously. Baking Ideas To make your holiday recipes healthier, try these tips: eGo with the grains—Use whole grains such as wheat, flax and oats instead of all-purpose flour. They’re generally glutenfree and can help you meet your fiber needs. Bake it without a grain of salt—Reduce sodium in your baked goods with unsalted butter and lowsodium baking powder. A reduced salt intake can lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension, say the experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When oil cannot be substituted, unsalted butter is one alternative to lower your salt intake; and you can now get a low-sodium baking powderthat’s gluten-free and has no trans fats. Plus, although it has less than half the sodium of ordinary baking powder, the new offering from Rumford is a 1:1 replacement and guaranteed to produce light and fluffy cakes, breads, pancakes and more. Be fruitful—or at least let your pastries be full of fruit, such as antioxidant-rich pumpkin. You maylike to try this healthful twist on a holiday season favorite: Pumpkin Mandelbrot With Cinnamon Sugar % cup unsalted butter 1% cups light brown sugar, packed a Set yourself, your family and your guests up for good eating and healthful living by baking up a batch of beautiful cookies that are lower in salt and fat and high in fiber and antioxidants—and makegreatgifts, too. % cup granulated sugar 2 eggs % cup pumpkin puree 14 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice % teaspoon cinnamon % teaspoons cloves 3% to 4% cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons Rumford Reduced Sodium Baking Powder ’ teaspoon baking soda Cinnamon Sugar Coating: 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchmentpaper. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, eggs and pumpkin. Stir in spices, 3% cups of the flour, Rumford Reduced Sodium Baking Powderand bak- ing soda. Stir in more flour as required to makea stiff but soft batter. Using floured hands, spread dough out on the baking sheet into 2 logs about 3 inches and 6-7 incheslong. Bake 35-50 minutes until the log is set and dry to the touch. Cool well and lower oven temperature to 325F. Cut into diagonal cookies (about 30 pieces). Place cookies back on sheet and bake to crisp up cookies, about 20-30 minutes. Cool well and then toss cook- ies in cinnamon sugar (a paper bag works well, just gently shake to coat cookies). Makes about 3 dozen. Learn More For more information, tips and recipes, visit Clabber Girl at www.bakingfortheholidays.com or call (812) 232-9446.
