Applesauce and Pumpkin Cookies, yum!

 While hubby is hunting, I'm not only going to try and get lots done but I plan on some special time with the grand daughters too. Each child has a night to themselves to stay and spend some time, just the two of us.

After getting crowded out of my bed by little feet, then a little hind end followed by a tummy and shoulders that crept further and further over into my side of the bed, I left for another where I proceeded to wake repeatedly from a back ache. I love my Temperpedic bed. It's the only one that I sleep in that doesn't give me a back ache. But I couldn't resist those blue eyes that begged, "Can I sleep with you Grandma?" 

Breakfast, livestock chores, and then she wanted to bake. What better kind than moist applesauce and pumpkin cookies? Besides, I had some pumpkin thawed to make pumpkin smoothies and  it was too much for just that. During the baking times we sat at the nearby table inhaling the homey smell of cinnamon waifing from the oven and played Crazy Eights. The applesauce cookies were by far her favorite and having had the two side by side, I'd have to agree. I think next time I need to add a little something to the pumpkins ones to bring them up a notch. What oh what shall that be. I'll have to think on it.  

(I forgot to take a picture so I've borrowed one from the Internet)

With cookies just out of the oven warming our tummies, we moved on to crocheting. She has wanted to learn and the last time, last spring, we didn't get past the chain stitch. Double crochet I could see would be a bit challenging so I began teaching her the Afghan stitch. That is what they called it in my grandmother's day. Now they call it Tunisian. Hooking those big stitches in front made things easier.

I was tickled how nice it looked with her uneven stitches, a real ego booster. We have plan to practice once more on Wednesday while her little sister does ballet. Hopefully this time, two ton Tessy here won't have to join her size eight shoes with the 3 and 4 year old's tiny toes doing chasses, First Positon, etc. to keep our three year old participating. I'm sure it was a frightful sight and spectators would rather not a repeat be.  

If you are wanting something soft and yummy while the weather outside turns cold, try these cookies. My mom made them when we were little.

I make mine with home-made applesauce. Non of that Transparent apple stuff. Transparent and Red Delicious are two apples I don't care for. Transparent is too bland and mooshy and Red Delicious not full bodied enough and I also don't like the grain of them. So since Winesap apples have disappeared from our availability, (I loved those apples) I have gone to buying a box or two of undisclosed strain of apples from a fruit truck that comes yearly from Colorado. They are sweet, sweet so I'm happy and that is what I make my applesauce from. 

So when you make your own applesauce cookies keep that in mind when choosing your applesauce. You might have to add a touch more sugar to get the sweetness just right for these cookies.

Grandma's Applesauce Cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4  cup applesauce
1 cup raisins
Cream the above ingredients thoroughly.
 
2 1/2 cup flour plus 1 teaspoon soda
Mix the flour and soda and stir this mixture into the above creamed ingredients  just until moistened. You do not want to develop the gluten in the flour. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit.  

One of these days I'm going to play with this recipe as my goal is to eliminate shortening all together from our diet or at least down to the rare useage. I'm running in to problems as butter and shortening aren't always interchangeable. I wonder if ghee and shortening are?

Anyway, tell me your favorite kind of cookie when the cold weather strikes and out comes hot cocoa.