Lighter Cinnamon Cookies and a Cooking Workshop Update

This month, I took a break from teaching my cooking workshops.

I wanted a little time to rest and recharge before launching my fall workshops, right after the Jewish holiday season.

Also, let's be honest: everyone in Israel seems to be traveling abroad. And anyone who's still here isn't exactly in the mood to think about uncovering their six-pack.

So I spent the month resting, sprucing up the blog, working out a whole lot (because “after the holidays” is right around the corner), and, of course, cooking and baking.

What am I baking, you ask?

I decided to make ridiculously easy cinnamon cookies with phyllo dough.

If you haven't used it before, phyllo comes ready-made and frozen. Plain phyllo has little to no fat, making it a useful option when you're trying to maintain a calorie deficit or keep your calorie intake steady.

I'll admit it: I used to think phyllo was loaded with trans fat and had no place in a healthy kitchen. Turns out, I had it all wrong.

Phyllo is paper-thin dough, not a fat-rich pastry. Its simple ingredients give you a starting point for lighter baked treats, including these cinnamon cookies.

These cookies are so easy to make, wonderfully crisp, and full of that irresistible cinnamon flavor and aroma.

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When should you eat them?

A cinnamon cookie can serve as a quick energy snack before a demanding endurance workout, like a very long run or bike ride. The sugar and white flour provide carbohydrates that are digested and absorbed quickly.

Or have one when you just want something sweet with your 4 p.m. coffee.

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Nutrition information provided by Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical nutritionist and fitness trainer): Noam Bachar

Each cookie, from a batch of 30, contains:

80 calories

2 g protein

1 g fat

16 g carbohydrates

A Few Recipe Notes

Phyllo recipes usually call for brushing the dry sheets generously with oil to keep them from drying out.

I made myself a batch without any oil at all. The next day, they were a little dry but still delicious, and I saved 30 calories.

For this recipe, I added just 3 tablespoons of oil in total to give the cookies a richer, more tender bite.

Your call.

I used brown demerara sugar for its coarse crystals. Coconut sugar works too and brings a slightly nutty flavor.

Lighter Cinnamon Phyllo Cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Yield 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 package phyllo dough, thawed 500 g (17.6 oz)
• 9 tablespoons brown demerara sugar or coconut sugar
• 6 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons soy milk unsweetened

Instructions

1. Remove the phyllo from its package and lay it flat on the counter.
2. Separate 4–5 sheets from the pile, keeping those sheets stacked together.
3. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon evenly over the stack of 4–5 sheets. Sprinkle only the top sheet, not each individual layer. Spread the filling evenly so every cookie gets its fair share.
   
4. Roll the stacked dough from one side toward the center, stopping halfway across.
   
5. Roll from the opposite side until the two rolls meet in the middle. Set aside.
   
6. Repeat with the remaining dough, sugar, and cinnamon to make 3 rolled logs in total.
7. Slice each log into 10 equal pieces.
   
8. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
9. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet.
   
10. Mix the oil and soy milk in a small bowl. Brush each cookie with a little of the mixture.
11. Bake for about 10–12 minutes.
12. Remove the baking sheet, flip the cookies, and bake for another 3–5 minutes, until the sugar coats the cookies on all sides and the dough is golden brown.
    
13. The cookies keep well for about a month in a tightly sealed jar.