Applesauce Cookies

Yes yes, it is no longer cookie-baking season, I know, I know. But I just can't go cold turkey. I have to ease my way into healthiness...and so here is what I consider a nice, heathy....cookie. It has applesauce. It has oatmeal. It has raisins. It is a one-cookie healthy eating program. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

One little word of caution about these delicious little numbers. I'm not sure why, but they are VERY sticky on the bottom. You will be a-okay if you use parchment paper like the recipe says, but if you throw caution to the wind and just use a naked cookie sheet, it might end in tears. I used my faithful Silpat and they even tried to stick to that. Tried and failed, because the Silpat is invincible. But consider yourself warned.

Aside from that, these were easy and cooperative little cookies, right down to the maple frosting. I used a little squeeze bottle to frost mine, but you could also use my favorite make-shift-frosting trick, which is to put the frosting into a zipper sandwich bag, close the zipper (very important), snip one of the corners off -- just a tiny snip -- and voila! instant pastry bag!

So there you have them, the healthiest cookie on the block. I think you owe it to yourself to go make some, don't you think?

APPLESAUCE COOKIES, from Everyday Foods

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup chunky-style applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add egg and applesauce, mix until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in raisins.
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper; let cool completely.
3. Make icing: Whisk confectioners' sugar, syrup, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Drizzle over cookies, let set.