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Cookbooks

Chocolate Spice Cookies

By Nick Malgieri and David Joachim

4.6

(19)

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Nick Malgieri's and David Joachin's Perfect Light Desserts. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here.

These moist, chewy cookies are so good, it's hard to believe that they're low in calories and fat. Many thanks to my friend and cookbook dealer Bonnie Slotnick for sharing the recipe.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 36 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1/3 cup alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
2 cookie sheets or jelly-roll pans lined with parchment or foil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

    Step 2

    Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.

    Step 3

    In another mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a large rubber spatula. Beat in the applesauce and molasses.

    Step 4

    Stir in the dry ingredients to make a soft dough.

    Step 5

    Drop tablespoons of the dough (or use a small ice cream scoop) an inch apart on the prepared pans.

    Step 6

    Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, changing the position of the pans about halfway through the baking. Exchange the top pan and the bottom and also turn them back to front at the same time. The cookies will still be fairly moist when they are done. Avoid overbaking them or they will be dry and hard.

    Step 7

    Slide the papers from the pans to racks to cool the cookies.

Reprinted with permission from Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving by Nick Malgieri and David Joachim. Photographs by Tom Eckerle. Copyright © 2006 by Nick Malgieri and David Joachim. Published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
TagsCookieDessertCocoaMolassesNut FreeEasyBakingCookbooks
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