So you want a cookie but you want it to be remotely healthy and use real ingredients, eh?  Well, here you go.  Here’s my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!  **This recipe can easily be made eggless, by omitting the egg and making the 1/4 cup applesauce into a heaping 1/4 cup of applesauce.  Be sure to buy the “natural” applesauce that has 2-3 ingredients in it, NOT containing high fructose corn syrup.  Who wants that in their homemade cookies?  Parchment paper works beautifully here, as it does with most cookies!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup flour (slowly spoon your flour into a dry-measure cup and level off with the back of a knife).
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg (OR use Egg replacer powder, **OR make your applesauce into a heaping 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened, “natural” applesauce **
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups rolled, or old fashioned oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup dark raisins, (or cranberries, if desired)
• Supplies: 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, foil, or silicone mats

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375* and set the rack on the lower and upper thirds of oven.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl (or use your mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the brown sugar, then egg (or replacer**), applesauce and vanilla.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients.  Then add oats and raisins.
5. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons (or use your cookie scoop) at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Leave enough room between cookies, they spread!
6. Use a fork to gently flatten the dough.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they look slightly browned, yet moist and soft.
8. Cool on wire racks for a few minutes so the cookies can firm up before you attempt to remove them.  If you move them too early, they will crack and fall apart.