Q: Dear Recipe Doctor, have you ever developed a healthier rolled sugar cookie? I don't believe I've seen one in the column, and it would really come in handy through the year.

No need to refrigerate this dough — it's ready to roll, cut and bake by the time you finish mixing. If your dough does seem too loose to handle though, just chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

NOTE: If you are making the cookies with children who might be eating the dough raw, just use 6 tablespoons of egg substitute in place of the one egg and 2 tablespoons egg substitute called for.

Original recipe contains 214 calories, 8 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 38 mg cholesterol and only .5 gram of fiber per cookie.

This recipe has 50 percent less saturated fat and cholesterol, a third less total fat, 25 percent fewer calories, and three times the fiber!

WHEAT ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES

• 2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 cup unbleached white flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup whipped butter

• 1/4 cup less-fat margarine (with 8 grams fat per tablespoon)

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available

• 2 tablespoons egg substitute

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (white flour can be substituted)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or coat nonstick cookie sheets with canola cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt with whisk; set aside. Combine whipped butter, margarine, sugar and vanilla in mixing bowl by beating on medium speed with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy.

3. Beat in the egg and egg substitute. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture.

4. Lay a big sheet of wax paper on a flat surface and dust with powdered sugar. Roll a third of the cookie dough into a ball and then roll in the powdered sugar. Roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness, adding more powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out cookies with a 4- to 5-inch cookie cutter. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies from the wax paper to prepared baking sheet.

5. Repeat this process with remaining dough, incorporating dough scraps with the next ball of dough.

6. Bake cookies until edges of cookies barely turn golden (about 15 minutes). Let cookies cool on wire rack. These cookies keep well at room temperature for up to a week!

Makes about 2 dozen 4-inch cookies

Per cookie: 160 calories, 2.5 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat, 2.3 g saturated fat, 1.5 g monounsaturated fat, 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 129 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 31 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1 gram. Weight Watchers POINTS = 3.