Chewy molasses cookies

Chewy molasses cookies

I made these last night and they were so good my husband immediately asked "how many per day?" I've made other varieties with less ingredients (listed as "optional" below), but last night I used the full list, and yum!  They were chewy and are definitely my new favorite.

Preheat oven to 350, lightly grease cookie sheet.

3/4 cup applesauce*
1/2 mashed banana (optional -- if not used, increase applesauce to 1 cup)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp ginger (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 tbsp rum (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar

Mix well, then add:

2 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 King Arthur white unbleached and 1 cup whole wheat)
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Stir well.  At this point, you can put the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for several hours (or days), but I couldn't wait and they were still great.

Roll ping pong sized balls and place on cookie sheet with room for them to spread.

Cook 9-10 minutes -- do not overbake.  Delicious warm, and I think they're even more delicious the next day after they're cool and chewy... that is, if there are any left!

*I make instant applesauce by coring 1 small apple, heating it in the microwave with 1/2 cup water for 2 minutes uncovered,  and then smashing it with a fork into sauce.

We are a no-dairy, no-soy, no-egg, vegetarian family

I'm starting to figure out just how to cook for us.  I am a vegetarian, breast-feeding an MSPI baby (milk and soy protein intolerance), with an egg allergy.  My husband will eat anything but does not consider soup a meal.


I made this for a party yesterday.  It turned out surprisingly well.  Even the omnivores liked it.

Roasted vegetable pie with quinoa crust
1/2 cup garbanzos
2 cups cooked quinoa (I had some laying around)
1 cup water or leftover soup (again, I had some butternut squash soup that I was sick of eating)
1 tablespoon tahini (peanut butter would have been good, too)

mash those four things together, then add:

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 pinches of salt (or more if you used water instead of soup)
1/4 cup canola oil

mix everything and press into a pie plate

bake 375 F for 20 minutes


Then, I added some roasted vegetables and baked for another 20 minutes at 350, but you could also just toss in some stir-fried veg, or just about anything and eat it.