In America, a cookie is described as a thin, sweet, usually small cake; in Australia and the UK it is called a biscuit.

The first historic record of cookies was their use as test cakes. A small amount of cake batter was baked to test the oven temperature. The name cookie is derived from the Dutch word koekje, meaning "little cake." The English, Scotch, and Dutch immigrants originally brought the first cookies to the United States. Our simple butter cookies strongly resemble the English teacakes and the Scotch shortbread.

The Southern colonial housewife took great pride in her cookies, almost always called simply "tea cakes." These were often flavored with nothing more than the finest butter, sometimes with the addition of a few drops of rose water. In earlier American cookbooks, cookies were given no space of their own but were listed at the end of the cake chapter. They were called by such names as Jumbles, Plunkets, and Cry Babies. The names were extremely puzzling and whimsical.

There's nothing like eating a warm cookie freshly baked from the oven. And there's no reason why being low carb and sugar free should stop us from enjoying this wonderful experience... especially during the holidays!

We've been deluged with requests for Christmas Cookie recipes! So we've gathered our very favorites here together and we hope you enjoy both making them AND eating them! Remember, depending on the sort of cookies, because these are made without sugar, they don't always "spread" the same in the oven. (Cookies with sugar spread as the sugar melts into the fat/butter of the cookies.) So for those varieties you want to be flat, make balls and flatten with the palm of your hand.

When I was a kid, I came to really love Pfeffernusse Cookies (Pepper Cookies.) Well, these sweet, crunchy treats did not at first seem to be something that I'd ever be able to enjoy again while low carbing. But over time, I've been able to duplicate the old taste and texture extremely well. See if you agree! 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten flour 1/2 cup oat flour 1/2 cup whey protein powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon finely ground white or black pepper (I often add half of each!) 1/2 teaspoon ground anise or 1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup Diabetisweet or erythritol 1/2 cup Brown Sugar Twin (Canadian cyclamate variety works best) 2/3 cup Splenda 1 Tablespoon molasses 1 egg 1 cup powdered Steel's Nature Sweet (maltitol) Sift together flours, salt, pepper, anise, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. In a second bowl, beat together the butter, Diabetisweet (or erythritol), Brown Sugar Twin, Splenda, and molasses until light and fluffy. Add the egg, mixing well, and then mix in the flour mixture. The dough will be stiff and will come together best if you knead it manually. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets lightly. Snip off bits of dough to make 1-inch balls. Place balls onto baking sheet 2 inches apart. If you prefer crisp cookies, press dough balls flat (about 1/4 inch thick); if you prefer them soft, leave them as balls. Bake in center of oven until starting to brown at edges. Don't over bake. Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly. Dust with powdered Steel's Nature Sweet while warm, then cool on racks. Makes about 2 dozen. Approximately 2.2 effective grams of carbohydrate per cookie.

My son used to like these with a half candied cherry baked into the center of each one. He thought they looked like Rudolph's nose. As a low carber, we sadly have left off the cherry. 2 sticks butter, softened 1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans 1/2 cup almond flour 1 cup Splenda 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon mace or nutmeg 1/2 cup vanilla whey powder 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten Preheat oven to 325F. Beat butter in a large bowl until it's fluffy and light. Add Splenda, blending well. Add egg, and beat again. Add salt, baking powder, spices, ground pecans and almonds. Beat until completely incorporated. Add whey powder and gluten and finish mixing. Dough will be sticky and a little gooey but should hold together. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay dough onto paper. Use a spatula to smooth dough into even layer, (about 1/4" thick.) Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Score with a sharp knife while cookies are still hot. Makes 5 dozen cookies - 1.3 effective grams of carbohydrate per cookie.

These cookies are wonderful (and very Christmas-y) as-is, but if you want to frost them, they make a big splash with guests or your kids! Just mix 8 oz. cream cheese with 1/3 stick of softened butter. Blend in 4 packets of Splenda and a dash of vanilla extract. Blend until creamy. A drop or two of food color will allow you to make gingerbread "ornaments". 1 3/4 cups almond flour 1/4 cup oat flour 1/4 lb (1 stick) softened butter 1/2 cup granular splenda 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar Twin 1 Tablespoon Molasses 2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 300F. Cream butter with Splenda and Brown Sugar Twin in a large bowl. Add water and spices and mix well. Gradually add almond flour and mix to a stiff dough. Form into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet at least 1" apart. Bake at 300F for 20 minutes. After five minutes in oven, press cookies down with a fork in a criss-cross manner. Continue baking, being careful not to burn and adjusting time for your oven. Makes about 2 dozen cookies - 1.4 effective grams of carbohydrate per cookie.

1/2 cup DaVinci Sugarfree Vanilla Syrup 6 packets Splenda 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter 2 extra large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a bit more than 1/2 cup DaVinci Sugarfree Vanilla Syrup to a boil and measure out 1/2 cup. Pour boiling syrup over oats. Mix, cover, and set aside to soak. Meanwhile, beat the butter, Splenda, eggs and vanilla together until fluffy and smooth. Add coconut, baking powder and salt to the oats; then pour the oats into the creamed mixture and combine well. Drop by teaspoonful 2-3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes and cool completely on rack. Store in an airtight container - layers separated by waxed paper or paper towels. Makes 24 cookies. 3 effective grams of carbohydrate per cookie.

1 cup non-transfat shortening or lard 1 1/2 cups Splenda 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 eggs 2 1/4 cups almond flour (finely ground almonds) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 low-carb white chocolate bars (Ross, Carbolite, etc.) frozen and broken into pieces 1/2 cup walnut pieces Preheat oven to 350F. Blend shortening or lard with Splenda in a large bowl. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Set aside. Sift remaining dry ingredients together. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, blending well. Stir in walnuts, and most of white chocolate pieces (reserve a few pieces for decorating tops if you like.) Drop from teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten a bit with palm. Decorate tops with white chocolate pieces if you like. Bake in moderate oven 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks; cool completely. Makes 2 dozen. 1.4 effective grams of carbohydrate per cookie.

Netrition: "The Internet's Premier Nutrition Superstore"                               Daskalides        Fine Belgian Sugar Free Chocolate Daskalides has been making chocolate since 1931 in Gent, Belgium, using only the finest ingredients with no preservatives. Once you have tasted these chocolates filled with nuts, fruits and creams, you will know why Daskalides has won Europe's highest awards.                 And may we also recommend...   Lean Protein Bites in Peanut Butter, Milk, and White Chocolates!   Due Amici Low Carb Pasta Lite in Linguine, Macaroni and more!   Carbsense Low Carb Pancake and Waffle Mix in Buttermilk and Buckwheat! And so much more! Come and see our selection of Very Low Carb Foods!