Baking Gems: Applesauce Cookies

Sunday evening, I went for a jog to capture the last waning hour of sun.  With traveling to Dallas the week prior, I gained the hour that I lost with Daylight Savings; and then lost it again traveling back to Philadelphia.  I’m not sure what this really means in terms of rattling my body’s internal rhythms (or why it was 30 degrees in Dallas, and 70 degrees in Philadelphia over the weekend), but I do know that I was happy to be in shorts and a t-shirt bobbing through people along the sidewalks of the city again.

I’m also happy to be back in my kitchen. I’m celebrating these lingering evenings with some Applesauce Cookies, because cookies are really the gems of the baking world.  I found this recipe on Best Ever Cookie Collection web site and adapted for ingredients on hand. The original recipe calls for a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour; I used unbleached organic white flour and 100% whole wheat flour.  I was also short on brown sugar, so I subbed in some honey.

If you like a cake-like cookie and a cinnamon kick, this is a good recipe to try.  Of course you can always adjust the amount of cinnamon per taste preferences.  These cookies are very light and mildly sweet – a nice addition to afternoon tea.  Click on the hyperlinks for more information on the food producer.

Applesauce Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup applesauce

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375F degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone liners, nonstick foil, or parchment paper. Alternatively, use ungreased cookie sheets to bake your cookies.
2. In a medium size bowl whisk the flours, spices, baking soda, and salt until well blended and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and honey with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
4. Beat in the egg and applesauce then stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until light brown around the edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack with a spatula.

UPDATE! Since I tend to make small cookies, I refrigerated the batter for a couple of days so I could have fresh cookies later in the week.  I added some dried cherries and carob chips adding a tartness and new texture.  Definitely an improvement; I’d recommend adding your favorite dried fruit or chopped nuts.