Sometimes it’s hard to get your child to eat fruit. So why not let him or her work with you to make this easy cookie recipe? You can use any berry you like. Try different extracts like coconut, or add spices like a half teaspoon of cinnamon or anise, if you like. More spices generally mean more nutrients.

All you need is a bowl. This recipe makes 16 to 18 walnut-sized or ping-pong cookies. The cookie dough doesn’t spread, so you can get plenty on your baking sheet. Just double everything, if you want to make enough for two cookie sheets (36 cookies). You can bake half now and half later. Most likely they won’t stay for long.

Set your oven to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your cookie sheet or use parchment paper to save calories. Each batch will take 12-14 minutes until the cookies are golden brown.

The recipe: Cream ½ cup softened butter or 1 stick with ½ cup powdered sugar. I like to use Smart Balance (64% fat content) to reduce fat and calories. Also, that saves time, since you don’t have to wait for it to soften. Just mash it into a ½ cup bowl with a fork, a great job for your child. Add ½ teaspoon of coconut or other extract. Vanilla is fine. You may want to try mint (1/4 teaspoon) or almond as a substitute, depending on your taste. Add 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, cut in half. This allows the moisture in the berries to work in the baking process.

You can use any berry that is in season or on sale. I’ve made these with strawberries, but raspberries, blackberries, fresh blueberries, or even figs would work. I’ve tried them with frozen fruit, but they tend to get a bit musky. Fresh is best as I like to stay as close to the original as possible and avoid processing as much as possible. Don’t forget to rinse the berries before cutting them in half. If you’re doubling the recipe, your child can duplicate what he’s making and choose his own berry, extract, and spice.

Use a cookie scoop or about a tablespoon of rounded dough for each cookie and place on the cookie sheet. You can place them quite close together, because they won’t spread out. I use a 14-inch by 16-inch cookie sheet and can get them all on one sheet. (Since there are no eggs, I have been known to dip into the batter.)

Remember that the darker or brighter your cookie sheet is, the faster your cookies will brown. I have those light colored, air type baking sheets so it’s hard to over bake mine, especially with the parchment paper. But I haven’t had any complaints yet. My friend Bev, who loves my maple flavored pizzelles, declared them her new favorites.