Let the Healthy Christmas Baking begin...

  

Orange Spice Molasses Cookies (From EatingWell.com)

These spiced molasses cookies have applesauce to help keep them moist and whole-wheat flour and oats to incorporate whole grains.

Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon(s) freshly grated orange zest

1 1/2 cup(s) rolled oats

5 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup(s) granulated sugar

1/3 cup(s) packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoon(s) freshly grated orange zest

1/2 cup(s) light or dark molasses

7 tablespoon(s) unsweetened applesauce

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon(s) ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

2 1/4 cup(s) whole-wheat flour

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

2.To prepare the rolling sugar: Pulse 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest in a food processor until well combined. Place in a shallow dish and set aside.

3.To prepare cookie dough: Grind oats in a blender until they look like a fine powder, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.

4.Beat butter and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons orange zest and beat another 2 minutes. Add molasses, applesauce, egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper, and salt; beat on medium-high until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

5.Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the ground oats. Scrape down the bowl; with the mixer on medium, slowly add whole-wheat flour. (The dough will be moderately sticky.)

6.Using a slightly rounded tablespoon of dough, roll into balls, then roll in the rolling sugar to coat. (If necessary, wet your fingers to help roll without sticking.) The zest will make the mixture slightly wet and it will clump; lightly brush off the excess so that just a thin coat is on the cookie. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

7.Bake the cookies in batches until the edges are set and the tops are cracked, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 10 minutes.

8.Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. Serve warm or cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories 85

Total Fat 2g

Saturated Fat 1g

Total Carbohydrate 16g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Protein 1g

Yields: 40 cookies

I had to go out and buy this nifty tool- a micro-grater, boy, did it ever speed up the job of grating of whole orange.

Here they are just out of the oven. I yielded more than 40 cookies, perhaps 60 or so, so my nutrional info would be a little different. These take a while to make because you need to roll each in the orange sugar. But they are soooooo worth it. We just love them!