Kim, I tried adding plain water to improve cookie spread, but all it did was make the cookies softer; they still didn't spread like they would with the original amount of sugar. As for fat, I didn't try that — if you do, c'mon back and share your results here! I don't believe dextrose comes in any readily available form that could be used for baking, does it? I know it's in high-fructose corn syrup, but I've never seen it offered as a sugar substitute for baking. Unless it's labeled as such, I surmise dextrose would only be suitable for baked goods that don't rely on sugar for their structure or texture, e.g., fruit pie filling. PJH

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