Healthy Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Christmas is a time to have a gastronomic feast, isn'ty it? It's a time to try out our best recipes and delicious homey and comfort foods, to gather around with family and friends  and enjoy the pleasure of good eating and friendship. But we still have to watch what we eat and not overdo. That's the hard part, ha!  At least I do! Here's a rgeat recipe I copied from this great blog, which also has great tips for staying healthy and fit during the holidays http://blogsgotheart.blogspot.com/

 

I added raisins to mine! I love it!

Healthy Oatmeal Spice Cookies (Tried and proven)

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup light or dark molasses
• 7 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

 Preheat oven to 375 degree ovenLLine a large baking sheet  parchment paper or a nonstick spray.

 Grind oats in a food processer until they look like a fine powder, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed. (Here is Brazil you can find "Farinha de Aveia", already ground oats. That's what I used)

Beat butter and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons orange zest and beat another 2 minutes. Add molasses, applesauce, egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper and salt mix well then  slowly add the ground oats. Scrape down the bowl; with the mixer on medium, slowly add whole-wheat flour. Roll into balls.  Place cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies in batches  around 10 minutes or until the edges are set and the tops are cracked, but the centers are still soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. Serve warm or cool on a wire rack.