Chocolate, Applesauce, Oatmeal--Great Cookies in the Making!

One of those automated invitations arrived in my email the other day, asking for three dozen cookies for an event this weekend. I was glad to sign up, but I knew that there are lots of really fantastic bakers who will also be providing cookies, so I wanted to try something that might be a little different.

I decided to add  half a package of "white chocolate chips" left from holiday baking to an old-favorite chocolate drop cookie. It is quick and easy and, because I substituted oil for the butter in the original recipe, relatively economical.

One thing to keep in mind with the chips: Even the name brand "white chocolate chips" are really not exactly chocolate, so they handle and bake up differently from "regular" chocolate chips. Whether it was the chips or the substitution of the oil, I did find the dough a little trickier to work with than usual. Just "dropping" the spoonfuls of dough on the pan resulted in lots of chips rolling off in many directions, so I had to use my fingers to press them back into each cookie. Note the "before and after" of this step:

Before:

  

After:

Not a big deal, but one you should be aware of when you make these.

Also--as you can see from the photos, the six ounces of chips is more than ample; to reduce costs a bit, you could cut back on the chips and save those not used for another purpose. (They might also be easier to handle if the ratio of chips to batter was slightly different!)

Chocolate Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

1/4 c canola oil
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/3 c cocoa
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t soda
6 oz white chocolate chips
3 c rolled oats, quick (not instant) variety

1. Combine the first six ingredients and beat until smooth.
2. Stir the baking soda into the flour and then add to the batter. Combine until well mixed.
3. Stir in the chips and then the rolled oats.  (It is much easier to get the chips well blended by putting them in first).
4.  Drop by tablespoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet, pressing the chips into the dough as needed.
5.  Bake at 350 degrees about 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies barely spring back after touching with a finger in the center. As with most chocolate cookies, be careful not to over-bake! Store tightly covered.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Variations:

Use semisweet chocolate chips instead of the white variety.
Add 1/2 to 3/4 c chopped walnuts or sliced almonds.

Substitute raisins or dried cranberries for the chips.