Applesauce Raisin Cookies

By AnneS

Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup raisins, plumped in hot water and drained
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• Prepared vanilla frosting and pecan halves for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to moderate (350 degrees).

2. Soft together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

3. Beat together butter and the light brown and granulated sugars in a large bowl with electric mixer til light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Beat in flour mixture and applesauce until blended. Stir in raisins and pecans.

4. Drop mixture by the heaping measuring tablespoons, 2" apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake in preheated oven 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely; (the cookies will freeze well at this point). To decorate, frost center of cookie and top with a pecan half.