Slimmed-down holiday treats will help jump-start your New Year’s resolve

All nuts are high in protein, as well as good fats and fiber, potassium and magnesium. Despite all the good news about nuts, it’s still a good idea to avoid tucking into a bowl at a party.

Portion control is the key: A serving of nuts is roughly  1/4 cup, or a “handful” of nuts. We like to use a deviled-egg plate as a serving tray at a party. Two “eggs” is equivalent to about  1/4 cup. Of course, it doesn’t really matter if guests know that little trick. Easy-to-see portions help everyone avoid the trap of mindless eating.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Combine nuts in a mixing bowl. Drizzle syrup over nuts, then sprinkle with seasonings. Toss to coat nuts evenly. Spread nuts in a single layer on prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted, stirring midway through.

Recipe developed for The Star by professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss.

Food gifts are usually a safe bet for everyone, from the mailman to Aunt Mabel.

Even the Scrooge-iest among us can’t resist getting a wee bit jolly when presented with such gourmet delectables as Roasted White Chocolate-Dipped Apples on a stick or a pint jar of dusky Mexican Drinking Chocolate.

But as I was flipping through recipes like these in a mouth-watering food-gift cookbook that came across my desk, I couldn’t help but get my bah-humbug on after noticing that not one of the recipes included nutrition information.

When choosing to indulge, it’s still nice to know how things are stacking up. Is it any wonder Americans spend January making resolutions to eat better and lose weight?

The Star’s pumpkin bread is an easy-bake, rustic quick bread perfect for the season. It’s also an ideal gift for just about anyone — young or old, health-conscious or not — on your good-for-you gift list.

Pumpkin is, of course, high in vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium. Walnuts have plenty of omega-3. But the recipe also is an example of how low-fat baking is just as tasty as it is healthy. Start by replacing half of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour. Cut down on fat and cholesterol using egg whites rather than whole egg.

You should also have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand, unlike some of the fancier offerings that initially caught my eye. Wrap up a couple of loaves for your family, friends and neighbors. No one will ever suspect it’s just 210 calories a slice, unless you include a recipe card with your loaf.

▪ Cooking tip: To toast walnuts, spread in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar until mixture is creamy. Beat in egg whites. Beat in pumpkin and apple juice. Add flour mixture and beat just until flour is moistened. Stir in walnuts. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Like a choir of holiday angels, cranberries wear the halo of good health.

But are all cranberries created equal?

Fresh cranberries are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium. They’re high in fiber and phytochemicals. By contrast, a large portion of the calories from dried cranberries come from sugar.

But even fresh cranberries are too tart to eat without a bit of sweetener. So don’t shy away from dried. Instead, look for a product that has been sweetened with natural sweeteners such as apple juice instead of corn syrup.

An easy way to enjoy cranberries is to sprinkle “craisins” in your baked goods. Investing in a mini-muffin pan is a small price to pay if you can avoid the holiday bulge.

Serve these holiday-inspired mini muffins straight up, for breakfast or lunch, or split open and garnish them to create a festive party appetizer.

▪ Serving tip: For a party appetizer, top each split cranberry orange mini muffin with about  1/2 teaspoon whipped and softened light cream cheese, 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce and  1/4 - to  1/2 - slice deli-style smoked turkey folded to fit.

Place cranberries in a small, deep bowl; pour boiling water over cranberries and stir to coat. Set aside and allow cranberries to plump, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line miniature muffin pans with paper baking cups or spray cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Combine egg whites, oil, juice and zest in a medium mixing bowl. Add sugar and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix just until flour is moistened.

Drain cranberries and add, stirring just until blended. Do not overmix.

Fill miniature muffin cups about  3/4 full of batter. Bake 10 to 11 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to stand 10 minutes, then remove to a rack.

Looking for a holiday cookie for the Big Guy to make him, um, less big? Try The Star’s chewy version of a low-fat gingersnap.

Low-fat baking relies on substitutions.

First, some of the flour may be replaced with whole-wheat flour. Wheat flours and egg whites contain proteins that allow the cookie to rise and not collapse when baked.

Next, some of the butter is replaced with a fruit puree; in this instance we used unsweetened applesauce. Why not all of the butter? Well, butter gives baked goods their flavor and texture.

Finally, the spices are enhanced by layers of flavor, including molasses, which has an intense, caramelized taste, and crystallized ginger, bits of warm, spicy ginger root cooked in a syrup and coated with coarse sugar.

▪ Shopping tips: Look for crystallized ginger in the spice aisle.

▪ After cane sugar or sugar beets have been refined, the remaining juice is cooked down to a blackish-brown syrup known as molasses. There are several types of molasses, including light, dark and blackstrap. Light molasses comes from the first boiling of the syrup. It has a lighter color and flavor. Look for molasses with the health foods or with syrups and honeys.

Combine flours, soda, crystallized ginger, spices and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.

Beat together butter, brown sugar and  1/2 cup sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until mixture is very creamy. Beat in molasses and applesauce. Beat in egg whites. Add dry ingredients and blend until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until well chilled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon remaining  1/2 cup sugar into a shallow bowl. Shape about 1 tablespoon cookie dough lightly into a ball about 1 inch in diameter; roll each ball in remaining sugar. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, lightly press each cookie down to make a disc about 2 inches in diameter. Bake 14 to 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Store in air-tight container.

Eating air may not sound filling, but it can be oh so satisfying.

Pop a meringue cookie in your mouth: in an instant rush of sweetness it dissolves on your tongue, like a snowball melting into a puddle on a sunny day.

When I put a batch of meringue cookies out at my house, my husband’s eyes immediately flickered with recognition. “Oh, I know what these are: suspiro!” In Portuguese, the word means “to sigh.”

OK, so meringue cookies are lightweights in the nutritional world, but at a time of year when most Americans tend to overeat, sometimes something elegant and light is all you really want. These meringue morsels are a tasty, low calorie, nearly fat-free holiday treat guaranteed to be snapped up by guests at your next holiday gathering.

Meringue cookies are often available in the supermarkets, but since the egg white and sugar mixture is so sensitive to humidity changes, the commercial varieties don’t have the same texture as fresh. In other words, they’re not likely to make you sigh.

▪ Preparation tip: Before beating egg whites to stiff peaks, wipe the bowl clean to be sure there is no residue of oil in the bowl or on the beaters. Also, check to make sure there is no sign of yolk.

For just the right consistency, add sugar gradually to the egg whites, no more than a tablespoon at a time.

What is cream of tartar, anyway? It is the crystalline acid deposited on the inside of wine barrels. When added to egg whites before beating, cream of tartar improves stability and volume.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate chips.

Using the tip of a spoon, drop small dollops of meringue onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. With the tip of a knife, spread the dollops into flat discs, about 1  1/2 -inches in diameter and  1/2 -inch thick. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until surface is dry and just beginning to turn golden. Allow to cool on baking sheet. Meringue cookies are quite fragile; handle very carefully so they don’t crack.

Place bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high (100 percent) power 15 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave 15 seconds or until chocolate is melted. (If desired, melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.)

Spread about  1/4 teaspoon melted chocolate on the flat surface (bottom) of a cookie, top with a second cookie making a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.