Applesauce Softies

I wanted to write more recipes this month but couldn't find enough time plus I needed to 'behave' and cut back on sugar AND I've been practising baking bread. Expect lots of bread recipes in the near future, hee hee.

I know there are lots of food bloggers that publish new contents every week (even daily!) and I do admire them...well, not all of them to be honest, but a lot. It takes a lot of hard work and time to mantain a blog with fresh new recipes but I prefer quality over quantity, always. In my humble opinion, it's better to publish a few good and well prepared recipes every month than putting a lot of not-very-appealing recipes every day. I put a lot of effort in my recipes to make them look as best as possible, from the ingredients I buy to the very last picture I take.

To finish off February I bring you these Applesauce Softies, wholesome cookies with a really nice cakey texture that I adore. Their very tender and soft consistency surprised and pleased everybody at home, they were gone in less than two days!

I've developed a strong predilection for spiced cookies over the last two years and the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves filled the house with a sweet and pleasant aroma...wish I could bottle it up and send it to you! But you can always give this easy recipe a try and let me know your thoughts, right? ;-)

Receta en español aquí!

Applesauce Softies
(Recipe adapted from 'Vegan cookies invade your cookie jar')

Ingredients 
(yield: 2 dozen cookies)

1 1/3 cups natural unsweetened applesauce.
1/3 cup sunflower oil.
3/4 cup organic brown sugar.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract.
Finely grated lemon rind (1 lemon).
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour.
1 tbsp cornstarch.
1 tsp ground cinnamon.
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg.
1/4 tsp ground cloves. 
1/4 tsp salt.
1/2 tsp baking soda.
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts.

For the cinnamon sugar topping:
3 tbsp brown sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Directions

First of all we should reduce the applesauce, cooking it in a saucepan over medium heat for about 25 minutes, controlling the temperature so it doesn't suddenly boil. It's okay if the applesauce is steaming and bubbling a bit while it's reducing. Stir often and after 25 minutes measure how much it has reduced. It should be around 2/3 cup but depending on your stove it'll will take you longer as it did for me. Keep cooking until it has reduced to 2/3 cup or slightly less. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the applesauce cool completely before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oil, brown sugar, vanilla and lemon rind with a whisk. Mix in the cooled applesauce, then sift in the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda using a rubber spatula. Finally, fold in the chopped walnuts. Mix until everything is well combined.

Scoop 1 rounded tablespoon for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, keeping the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart as they will spread and rise a bit.

Sprinkle with a little Cinnamon Sugar and bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until puffed and starting to brown on the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.