Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies

Fall is here!  Spice cookie magic.

We've finally gotten some cooler weather down here which kick-started my fall/winter cookie baking instincts.  Disregard the fact that I've baked them all throughout spring and summer, please.

As a side note, I've always been kind of backwards when it comes to seasonal activities, which is something I've been meaning to work on.  In high school I would highlight my hair in the winter and dye it dark in the summer.  So off.  I crave pumpkin pie in the spring and then by Thanksgiving I'm sick of it.  I bring the cookies my Nana only made at Christmas in to my coworkers in July.  Ridiculous.  Well these cookies are perfect for fall.  It's fall now, right Georgia?  Right?  (Please?)

Anyway, I was browsing through the Martha Stewart cookie book that my best friend gave me and I saw something that caught my eye.  I took her recipe and changed a few things around and came up with these.  They're improvements, in my opinion (how could she NOT have put nuts in these?!?), so in effect I win, Martha.  I bet she didn't even know we were in competition.

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Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies
(adapted from Martha Stewart, makes about 36 cookies)


Cookies:


4 Tbsp melted butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. chunky applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup walnuts


Glaze:


1 3/4 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp water

Mix butter and sugars on low until combined.  Add egg, applesauce, vanilla.  Mix until well blended, about 2 minutes.


In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.  Whisk together.  Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stir until combined.  


Stir in oats, then nuts, then raisins.  Use a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop to place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown on edges.  Allow to cool on sheet two minutes before removing to wire cooling rack.  (To rapid cool, place rack in refrigerator for about 10 minutes.)


Whisk together glaze ingredients.  If mixture is too runny, add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved.  Using a pasty bag or squeeze bottle (or like I did, a ziploc baggie with a tiny corner snipped off) drizzle glaze over completely cooled cookies.  Allow glaze to set before storing in an airtight container.