12 Days of Holiday Cookies

Ingredients For the pie crust ½ cup all purpose flour ¾ cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoons sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 2 Tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons ice water For the filling 3 Pink lady apples 3 Granny Smith apples 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg Directions Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Mix in the Greek yogurt and vegetable oil. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and combine with a fork until the mixture can form a ball. Lightly flour some plastic wrap, then place the dough on top. Flatten out dough. Cover with plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for 20 minutes. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 425°F. Remove dough from fridge. Roll out on a floured surface to ⅛ thickness. Place dough in a 9-inch pie pan, then trim the edges. While oven is preheating cut the apples into thin semi-circle shapes leaving the skin on. Toss the apples in a large pot with the lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Heat on medium high heat just until the apples are soft enough to bend without breaking about ten minutes. And remember to save the juice. Carefully arrange the apple slices around the apple pie crust starting with the outside and making your way to the center of the pie. Once you get to the center of the pie take small pieces and bend them around each other to create the center of the rose. Try to make the apples as compact as possible and go back and fill in any spots as necessary. You should be able to get all six apples in it. Drizzle the leftover juice over the apples and bake for 30-45 minutes. Cut into 8 equal slices and enjoy! NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 240 (50 from fat) Total fat 6g Saturated fat 2g Cholesterol 10mg Sodium 75mg Carbohydrate 45g (5g dietary fiber, 26g sugar) Protein 3g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

With the holiday season in full force, it's likely many of you are cozying up by the fire with a delicious cup of hot cocoa (possibly with a ton of those magical mini marshmallows on top). And, if you're anything like me, you're the adventurous type that likes to spice things up a bit with the toppings and mix-ins. I'm always on the lookout for the best hot cocoa, which is why I asked our nutrition team to put together eight new and revamped recipes. Then, we had the iFit team put on their best ugly Christmas sweaters and choose their favorites. The process: Our nutrition team worked their magic in the kitchen developing a wide assortment of hot cocoa recipes. Between dark, milk, and white chocolates, they did their best to vary up the flavors while still staying true to a chocolate base. For each matchup, two competing hot cocoas were presented to the team. After a taste test, the winner was marked by each team member on their individual bracket. This process was repeated for all of the recipes. The contenders: Gingerbread Indian Spiced iFit Nourish Coconut Cioccolata Calda Salted Caramel Amaretto Rum Cherry And the results are... Cioccolata Calda takes the prize! While the other contenders definitely put up a strong fight, it was this rich Italian classic that took the cake. Customarily eaten with a spoon and served in a small shot-sized glass, this treat is a true indulgence. You only need a little, but just a small amount will leave you beyond satisfied. This one pairs especially well with some fresh berries! Do yourself a favor and try this recipe! Trust me, you'll be so glad you did. Which recipes would we make again? While the Cioccolata Calda was mind-blowingly outstanding, we had to give some of the other contenders some credit and strong seals of approval. Click the links to find out how you can make them at home. Our Nourish hot cocoa recipe is the perfect choice for those days you want to indulge but still want to make a health-conscious decision. As we drank this creamy beverage, we had to keep reminding ourselves that it was, in fact, healthy. Doesn't expand the waistline AND tastes like molten chocolate lava? Count us in. The Amaretto Hot Chocolate is the perfect choice for kids and milk chocolate lovers. The velvetiness of the chocolate mixed with the warm flavors of amaretto extract (no alcohol in this one!), make for the perfect cozy cup for your winter night in. Add some mini marshmallows on top, and you're in business! For you fans of the salty/sweet combination, look no further than our Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. The sea salt brings out the richness and flavor of the chocolate, and caramel just makes everything taste better. Pair this one with a crispy biscotti and a good book for the perfect winter evening. And last, but certainly not least, our Indian Spiced Hot Chocolate is perfect for those of you who are looking to switch things up a bit. This white chocolate hot cocoa is paired with warm Indian spices for an indulgent, yet lighter version of the classic hot chocolate. Don't be scared, give this a try!

I was recently invited to a holiday tea party and cookie swap by the Martha Stewart of my friend group. While I'm enormously gifted at eating cookies, I'm challenged when it comes to baking them. Burnt edges and undercooked centers, which may or may not be salmonella infested, are common struggles for me. Thankfully, iFit's talented team of nutritionists put together not one, not two, but twelve delicious, healthy(ish), and fool-proof recipes for even the most embarrassingly bad bakers! These are the perfect treat to bring to a holiday party or to accompany you on a cozy night of holiday-movie watching. For the ideal combo, try dunking them in one of our many delicious hot cocoa recipes. Eggnog Biscotti Double Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti Pomegranate White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Pfeffernusse Elf Cookies Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies Salted .Caramel Chocolate Cookies Wassail Cookies Red Velvet Cookies Star Anise Cookies Fresh Cranberry Cookies Happy baking!