Do you remember this picture from a couple of posts ago? Well, here is the recipe!

These Applesauce Cookies are out of this world! The recipe comes from the Chef in Training blog. She has some great looking recipes on her blog. I hope to explore more when I have time.

Applesauce Cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups applesauce (I used unsweetened applesauce.)
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves (I accidentally looked at the line for the cinnamon that said 1 tsp and added 1 tsp of cloves! At first I panicked and tried to scrape out some of the ground cloves. Seeing that it was an impossible task to complete, I decided to leave it. It made for a tasty cookie! I think I will always make it that way.)

•Preheat oven to 375˚
•In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves.  Set aside.
•Cream together sugar and shortening
•Add eggs and applesauce and mix well
•Add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated
•Drop small spoonfuls of batter on greased cookie sheet
•Bake at 375˚ for 8-10 minutes

While cookies are cooling, prepare frosting.

Can we talk about this frosting a minute? It is so yummy! I happen to love caramel and pralines and toffee, all that salty-buttery-sweet stuff. This is just heavenly! I had a little leftover after frosting the cookies. I could not stand to throw it away. It was just that good! I have tried it on animal crackers. Yummy!

Caramel Frosting

6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

•In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, heavy cream and brown sugar.
•Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture just begins to boil;  remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Let cool, then stir in the powdered sugar.
•Spread frosting on cookies

When I made these cookies, it made 63 medium-sized cookies. I let the frosting set overnight before trying to store them. I stored the cookies in a couple of plastic storage boxes with parchment paper between the layers. The frosting did not get squished or smeared. The cookies kept their freshness well. They were best, however, while the frosting was still a little gooey and dripping down our arms!

Critics’ Corner

Chip: Cookies like these could make apples obsolete.

Megan: These cookies are definitely up to par with the Cookie Jar. (from Joanne Fluke’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder)

Katie: These cookies are way awesome with a glass of milk. They’ve got to be one of my favorite types of cookies!