Apple Ginger-Spice Cookies for One

This little treat makes me happy. The combination of molasses and applesauce speaks to my childhood and at the same time is a very grown-up combination. It’s a puffy and light cookie, and I’m very glad that the recipe makes three of them. This and a cup of tea and my happiness is complete! 

5 TBLSP all-purpose flour

Pinch baking powder

Pinch of baking soda

Two shakes of ground ginger

A hefty shake of ground cinnamon

A dash of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

2 ½ teaspoons canola oil

2 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce

1 ½ teaspoons molasses (I used blackstrap, but you could use plain, if you want a less bold taste)

1 ½ TBLSP granulated sugar, plus 1 TBLSP for rolling cookies

¼ apple, peeled and finely chopped apple (I like Grannysmith, but use whatever you like)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat it with cooking spray.

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a small bowl.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, and molasses. Add 1 ½ TBLSP sugar to this mixture.
3. Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and fold it in. It will be a stiff dough. When it’s mostly combined, add in the chopped apple. Don’t over mix it!
4. Roll the dough into rough balls and roll each ball in the remaining TBLSP of sugar. I got three balls, each a little bigger than 1-inch in diameter.
5. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and flatten them a bit.
6. Sprinkle any remaining sugar lightly over the top of the cookies.  
7. Bake for 20 -25 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are dry and the bottoms are golden brown. Cool them without moving them in the pan or they will crumble. They stiffen up as they cool.