Applesauce Cookies (100 word post)

My first reaction after biting into a straight-from-the-oven applesauce cookie was “I just popped the top”.  If you got the Seinfeld reference, your reward is a glass of Bosco chocolate milk! If not, no milk for you!

For those not quite as in touch with their inner-Seinfeld, “popping the top” is a reference from an episode in which the best (and eventually the only) part of a muffin is the top.

Seinfeld fan or not, I know you’ll enjoy this soft (muffin top-type) cookie with raisins, nuts and cinnamon. Serenity now, serenity now…

(FYI – I recently began an online writing class called “New Media Bootcamp“. My goals are simply to learn and to continually improve my writing, Taste Better With Friends and maybe pick up some fancy tricks along the way. This week’s homework was to write a 25, 100 and 350 word post.)

Applesauce Cookies (25 word post)

Applesauce cookies are perfect like a muffin top with a hint of cinnamon, a crunch of a nut and just like grandma used to make.

(FYI – I recently began an online writing class called “New Media Bootcamp“. My goals are simply to learn and to continually improve my writing, Taste Better With Friends and maybe pick up some fancy tricks along the way. This week’s homework was to write a 25, 100 and 350 word post.)

Lazy Susan Cookies

I have a confession, I didn’t own a cookie cutter up until two weeks ago.

But good things come to those who wait and I found myself a treasure. I am now the proud owner of a 1950’s retro Lazy Susan cookie cutter. That’s right, Lazy Susan, as in, 6 rolling moulds. I walked in to a bakery in Tuscaloosa and it had this great little random consignment store attached to it. I saw it (with the box) and had to have it, it’s as simple as that.

Oh and the box just also happened to have a basic recipes for cookies with multiple variations. According to the box, I can now make fancy cookies everyday!

This is that box.

This is that recipe.

And this is that cutter in action.

And these are the finished product.

Can you tell I’m excited about this?

For the record, I used the basic recipe, but played around with it a bit, as you’ll see below. I subbed in the brown sugar instead of the granulated sugar and tossed in 4 squares of chocolate with the shortening mixture. I got the color and the taste I was looking for just by tweaking the basic recipe a bit.

If you’re a fan of a crunchy, perfect for dipping-into-milk cookie, this is for you. I found them to be too hard, but warming them up in the microwave for 15 seconds was how I enjoyed them. The middle got warm and soft, but the outside remained crunchy.

Lazy Susan Cookie Recipe

• 4 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, unbeaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 teaspoons milk (ok, this is where it gets a somewhat sketchy. The box is slightly torn and I’m pretty sure I’m seeing a “4”. Although, the dough was a little on the dry side, so I added 2 extra teaspoons, but you normally have to play a bit here and there)

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt together.
2. Cream shortening, sugar until creamy: add eggs, vanilla: beat well.
3. Add flour alternately with milk: mix well.
4. Chill dough 1/2 hour.
5. Roll out to 1/3″ thickness on lightly floured board.
6. Roll cooky (not a typo, they use the word cooky) roller over dough in continuous movement.
7. Place on Wear-Ever cooky sheet 1/2″ apart: bake 8-9 minutes in hot oven 400F. (8-9 minutes was too long, the ones I took out after 5-6 minutes came out perfect)
8. Yield: 6 dozen

Variations

Butterscotch-Pecan: Substitute 2 cups tight packed brown sugar for granulated sugar. Add 1 cup chopped pecans with flour mixture

Chocolate: Add 4 squares melted chocolate to shortening mixture.

Lemon: Substitute 4 teaspoons lemon juice for milk, 2 tablespoons grated lemon rind for vanilla.

Coconut: Add 1 cup finely chopped, shredded coconut with flour mixture.