Granny Cookies

You know fall has arrived when the first apples arrive in grocery stores. There are many varieties of apples to buy, Granny Smith, McIntosh, Gala, and more. In the fall we switch from lighter meals to heartier ones, such as soups and stews. This recipe for Apple Gingerbread is also a sign of fall, a delicious ending to any meal and a delicious after-school snack.

The original recipe was published in the 1964 edition of "The Joy of Cooking," by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. To make the gingerbread healthier I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the butter. Since some fat was needed I added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. The sweetness comes from Splenda, Splenda Blend for Baking, and the apples. Though the original recipe called for light molasses, I only had dark on hand, so that is what I used.

Choose a firm variety of apple for this recipe. Granny Smith work well, as do Honeycrisp, a cross between Macoun and Honeygold apples that was developed at the University of Minnesota. Fresh pears may be substituted for the apples. Two tablespoons of chopped candied ginger may be added to the batter for a really gingery taste.

Serve the Apple Gingerbread while it is still warm. It tastes good plain, or you may top it with sugar-free vanilla yogurt or "free" whipped topping. Kids will enjoy making this quick and easy recipe. Better yet, they will have two pans of gingerbread when they are done, one to freeze and one to eat now. If they give some to the dog pretend you didn't see it.

APPLE GINGERBREAD

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

3/4 cup Splenda

1/4 cup Splenda Blend for Baking

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup dark molasses

2 1/2 cups presifted regular flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

1 very large apple, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a batter bowl whisk together the applesauce, olive oil, Splenda, Spenda Blend, egg, and molasses. In a small bowl combine the flour, spices, and salt. Get out two layer cake pans and put a tablespoon of butter into each one. Melt the butter in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted take the pans out of the oven and coat the sides with baking spray.

Arrange peeled apples in a circle on the bottom of each pan. Add the dry ingredients to wet alternately with hot water. Make sure there is no dry flour on the bottom of the bowl. Pour batter over the apples and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the gingerbread cool for a few minutes. Cover two plates with release foil. Invert one pan of gingerbread on each plate. Enjoy!

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

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