Good ole Molasses Cookies

     It's Cooking Club time tonight!!! I love the first Friday of every month! As I mentioned before we are going through Cooking Light, The Complete Cookbook: A Fresh New Way to Cook. This month I have to bring a dessert. This cookbook is full of fun dessert recipes, but I'm going to go simple tonight. I am headed to the kitchen right now to start on Molasses Cookies.
     One of the purposes of our Club is to try new things, and to see what something looks and tastes like and what worked and didn't work for certain recipes. I re-make at least one or two things from each month's club. It's sooo much fun!!! This month's choice for cookies is to remind myself to go back to something basic and simple!

    Here we go and I am sooooo glad that I didn't eat these things before I got to Wendy's house... they are just that good! AND....they are actually low fat!!! Yah, check out the recipe to see how these delish cookies can actually be considered a healthy choice!

   First though, I want to show you what you do when your oven is on 375, your hands soaked in cooking oil and all three of your kids wake up from their naps:

Yah, I know...she looks real excited to be there doesn't she!!

Anyway, back to the cookies... {I usually preheat my oven before I do anything, but wait...don't heat it up until you put the dough in the freezer. There will be plenty of time to heat it up then.}

You will need:

1/2 cup       applesauce

1 1/4 cups   sugar, divided

6 Tbs          butter, softened

1/4 cup       dark molasses

1 large        egg

1 cup          all-purpose flour

1 cup          whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsps          baking soda

1 tsp           ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp        salt

1/2 tsp        ground ginger

1/2 tsp        ground gloves

Cooking spray

From the picture that looks like a lot, but really these were super, super easy.

1. Spoon applesauce onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, let stand 5 minutes. {I used 3 regular absorbant paper towels on top and bottom} Scrape into a bowl using a rubber spatula.

2.  Combine the applesauce, 1 cup of the sugar and butter; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended {about 3 minutes}

Add molasses and egg; beat well.

3. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, level with a knife. Combine flours and baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves, stirring well with a whisk.  {I used whole wheat flour, instead of ww pastry flour. If you do so, you can sub with 1 cup whole wheat flour minus 2 Tbs whole wheat flour for the 1 cup wheat pastry flour.} Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating until blended.

 

Cover and freeze 30 minutes or until firm.

4. Preheat oven to 375.

5.  With moist hands, shape dough into 32 (1 -inch) {My batch made 48} Roll balls into 1/4 cup of sugar.

Place 3 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. {I heart my silpat pad!} That's a silicone baking pad that nothing sticks to!!! It realllly is the best thing since sliced bread!!! I use it for everything. If you don't have one, seriously, get off this computer and go get you one!!!

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes. {8 minutes makes them good and chewy!}

Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Now all you need is a very cold cup of milk and a comfy chair!!!!!