In my house, making sugar cookies has become a weekly family activity. This healthy recipe makes me feel (slightly) less guilty about all the cookie dough we eat.

I used to be a really fun, lively, interesting person. You’d want to sit next to me. You’d want me at your party. I’d occasionally wear sexy heels and even eye shadow. I had jokes.

Things have changed. I’m no longer cool. I’m a nerd. A giant sugar cookie nerd.

A faded, stained apron, with a few burn marks (yes, I occasionally burn things, no one is perfect), is my daily uniform. My conversation starters consist of royal icing frustrations. My finger tips are dyed with food coloring. The other day, my 5 year old informed me I had cookie dough in my hair. And then I ate it.

What happened? I fell in love with sugar cookies. I fell hard. And now, it’s all I want to do and all I want to talk about.

I bake them, I ice them, I paint on them, and oh, do I ever eat them. They’re my favorite thing.

Luckily, my family has joined the party. They, too, have become sugar cookie nerds. My kids see the cookies as art projects, like edible play dough. My 3 year old can tell you exactly what’s in them, “Budder, flowder, shooger, vanilwa, and edds.” My husband sends me random youtube videos on decorating techniques. It’s adorable. Recently, we had a date night, where we painted on cookies and drank wine. It was fun, like, surprisingly fun.

We’re a family of giant nerds. We should get t-shirts.

Together, as a family, we bake and create, decorate and share. Creativity is a universal language, and I’m teaching it to my children when they’re young.

In the kitchen today, we’re trying something new: Whole Grain Spiced Sugar Cookies, using Kodiak Cakes All-Purpose Baking Mix. Being that we’re eating our weight in sugar cookies on a weekly basis, I thought I’d make them a bit healthier, with the addition of whole grains, fiber, and a dose of protein. This way, I’m fueling our creativity and our bodies. With this cold winter weather, we need all the fuel we can get.

What I love about this recipe is the unique flavor the whole grains bring. So much more than your classic sugar cookies; they taste like snickerdoodles. Light, chewy, hearty, with a spicy finish. I even love the rustic texture of the cookie dough. I’ve chosen to decorate my cookies with royal icing (and then some edible paint), but they’re perfectly delicious on their own. My boys eat them fresh out of the oven, no decoration needed. I love to dip them in coffee.

Whole Grain Spiced Sugar Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen 3” cookies

You’ll need:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups Kodiak Cakes All Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Make the cookies:

In a medium bowl, sift together the Kodiak Cakes All Purpose Baking Mix, salt, and spices. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, on medium speed, till light and fluffy. About 3-5 minutes.
Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, one at a time. Mix well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl when needed.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry mixture. Mix until just combined.
Divide the dough in half and flatten into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Preheat your oven to 375°F and adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take one disk of dough and place on a well floured surface. Roll the dough to 1/8" thick. Begin cutting out shapes with cookie cutter, trying to fit as many as possible. Using a large flat spatula, transfer the cookies to parchment lined cookie sheets, about 1/2" apart.
Re-roll the scrapes of dough and cut more shapes. Try not to re-roll the dough more than twice, as it results in a slightly tougher cookie.
When baking sheets are filled, bake for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reverse the cookie sheets halfway through.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
Repeat steps with remaining disk of chilled dough.