Heart Healthy Santa Cookies

Heart Healthy Santa Granola Bar

Richard E. Collins, MD
The Cooking Cardiologist^®
Santa may be needing a weight reduction program. Consider this….he likely has pre-diabetes, is stressed out (time constraints in a 24 hour period), goes without exercise (he has reindeers and elves that do all the work) and then has to ingest tons of cookies, milk, carrots and goodies left in front of fireplaces across America. However, here is a great snack for Santa that both he and Mrs. Claus can enjoy as a late snack or a quick morning breakfast bar with tea or coffee when he returns to the North Pole. Do you have loved one who is sick? Then these get well cookies shipped can be delivered straight to your loved one’s door or to the hospital.

Equipment:

Oil spray
Parchment paper
9×13 inch baking dish
Bowls and spatula

Ingredients:

¼ cup maple syrup
4 egg whites
½ t vanilla extract
2 t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
2 ½ cups of granola (I used Udi’s gluten free vanilla granola)
½ cup shaved almonds
½ cup chopped walnuts
6 dried chopped apricots
½ cup dried cranberries
3T melted white chocolate for garnishing.
Preheat oven to 350 ⁰F. In a medium sized bowl, combine the maple syrup, egg whites, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except the white chocolate.

Spray oil a 9×13 baking dish and then line it with parchment paper, bottom and sides. Spray again lightly with vegetable spray. Using a spatula, evenly spread the granola mixture into the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top. Cut into 16 squares, approximately 2-inch squares. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days, but likely they will be eaten by then.
Nutritional data. Serves 16: serving size approximately 2 ½ inch squares.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 160, Total Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 35 mg, Carbohydrate: 20 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 11 g, Protein: 4g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat

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South Denver Cardiology

Randy Cupps Graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, in 1983 with a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology. Randy started his medical career in 1980 as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working on an ambulance and in an emergency room. He then joined South Denver Cardiology in 1986 when it was South Denver Cardiac Rehabilitation as an Exercise Physiologist conducting a wide variety of Graded Exercise Testing on a diverse patient population. Randy continues to keep his EMT current, and he is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. In 2012 Randy acquired the role of business development, marketing, and physician relations manager at SDCA.

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