“There’s a great trick to do with almost cookie that has flour in it," says Susan Westmoreland, Food Director, Good Housekeeping. "You can substitute up to half the amount of flour with whole wheat flour. It doesn’t change the texture and you don’t need a different amount of baking soda or anything like that. And in most cookies it’s undetectable if you do half and half.”

And there are some delicious recipes that don’t use any flour. “Almond-macaroon fingers are delicious, and they don’t have any flour in them. So, the healthy part about them is that they’re made with ground almonds, a little bit of sugar and egg whites. You really have a little bit of fat from the ground almonds. Just brush on some dark chocolate, rich in antioxidants, which is also good for you."

Another healthier sweet treat is fig bars. The bars contain dried figs that are soaked and mashed. The pureed dried fruit makes the cookie moist and chewy without adding a lot of fat. You also get lots of fiber and even a little bit of calcium from the fruit. Cover with a light, non-fat glaze of confectioners sugar and little bit of brandy or vanilla extract. "It’s nice and thin, and it just adds a little hint of sweetness with no fat added," says Westmoreland.

A final note: Good Housekeeping says that if you plan to send homemade cookies to a far-off friend or family member, try to do it early in the week. Cookies shipped on a Thursday will often sit in a warehouse all weekend. And you might want to spring for overnight shipping, to be sure the cookies arrive fresh.

The December issue of Good Housekeeping has a lot of good healthy-cookie recipes. Many of them are low-calorie. Others are nonfat or made with whole grains, fruit and nuts. To learn more, visit www.goodhousekeeping.com.