Holiday Butterballs with Benefits

Yes, you're reading this right!  My butterballs have benefits!  I've taken my girlfriends Mother's recipe and decided to change it up a bit.  I mean it's the holiday season and I know I'm going to eat things I usually don't eat.  So, I decided why not make the cookies a little more healthy and add some much needed protein while I'm at it!  This was actually much easier to do than I thought and it really didn't take long to get the amounts perfected like I thought it was going to take.  So...here you go!  They are Yummy!

Tiffany's Holiday Butterballs with Benefits

 Ingredients:

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour

1/4 cup Organic Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Salt (I used Iodized Salt...it's important)

1 1/4 cups Organic Nutiva Buttery Spread (Melted in microwave...don't allow to bubble)

3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Sun Warrior Blend Protein Powder (I used Vanilla flavored)

 2 cups chopped/crush Walnuts

 

 Topping:

1 cup Powdered Sugar

Mix in a colored decorative sugar if you would like (I used silver & gold pictured below)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix the first six ingredients together with a hand held mixer, then stir in the walnuts.  The consistency of the dough should be crumbly (don't be alarmed)!  Take a quarter size(or slightly larger)  amount of the dough and press together until the dough sticks together, then place on a top of of a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper (you could a heavily buttered pan, but this way is not only cleaner but adds no more calories).  Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven place in a bowl that holds your powdered sugar mixture (you can just use the powdered sugar if you would like...I just wanted to add color), then remove from your powdered sugar and place cookies in a container suitable for either the freezer or refrigerator.  They keep well in the freezer and I actually like them cold.  Enjoy...These are SOOOO YUMMY!

The flour and butter used

The Consistency of the dough

Here they are before going into the oven

The colored sugars I mixed into the powdered sugar to add a bit of color

And Yes, I was wearing my St. Lucia Wreath while doing this and making dinner! Just getting into the spirit:)

Completed and ready to eat.....

I'll guess I'll go back to the store for more ingredients....These are dangerous!!!

ENJOY!