Fortunately, wearing braces does not mean you are prohibited from enjoying the holidays and all the food and fun they offer. However, you want to make sure that your braces aren't damaged, and you are able to continue your orthodontic treatment way past the holidays and towards the beautiful, healthy smile you always wanted. For this reason, we do recommend Ginger Bread Cookies as they are delicious, soft and safe for those with braces. Baking them is very easy and can be lots of fun. Here is a recipe from ”The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You (And Your Orthodontist) Will Love” by authors Pamela and Brenda Waterman.
· One half cup of sugar.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
In a big bowl, mix sugar, molasses, shortening and water. Use an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Mix in salt, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg and flour. The dough will feel stiff. Divide dough into two mounds and wrap each one in wax paper or in a sealed container. Chill them for a minimum of one hour. Use your counter or cutting board, and dust them with flour. Place one of the chilled mounds of dough in the center. Sprinkle it with additional flour. Use your rolling pin and roll out dough until it is about a quarter inch thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Roll out and use scraps until dough has been shaped. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for seven minutes. Decorate your cookies with frosting and store them in a covered container.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Texas Orthodontics!
