Monday, September 16, 2013

Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies

Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies | Liv Life
The last remaining cookie....
What's the sign of an exceptional cookie?  Texture?  Taste?  Or maybe the two combined?  For these Banana Apple Spice Cookies, the sure sign of awesomeness became the speed at which they vanished.

With two batches baked in the last 3 days, I have only this lonely, single cookie remaining to show for my efforts.  Well, the proper word is "had".  I ate this one within mere minutes after confirming I had decent enough photos to publish, and I now have a shopping list of ingredients to fulfill the requested 3rd batch.

Soft and with a delightful crumb, no one knew these apple studded beauties included spelt flour or that much of the fat was cut out with the use of mashed bananas and apple sauce.  Easy to whip together with a stand mixer, a good wooden spoon and a bowl will also do the trick.

With such a wonderful response, I'm thrilled to submit these cookies to the first installment of the new monthly Creative Cookie Exchange.  Created by Laura, of The Spiced Life, my kids are more than excited about my participation in this group, and this month we kick off with "Back to School Cookies", or in our case, Banapple Spice Cookies.

Creative Cookie Exchange
Lately I've been all about healthy eating, and cookies and baked goods have been sparse in our household (hence the constant drone, "There's nothing good to around here!").  However, working with the ingredients in these irresistible Back to School Bites, I've managed to do both - low fat cookies filled with fruits and a bit of whole grains that are positively irresistible.  Everyone wins with these guys.  Enjoy!



Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies | Liv Life

Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies
Lower in fat and filled with whole grains and fruits, these cookies are also versatile.  Don't have apple?  Raisins and nuts would be wonderful additions.  Perfect for the lunch box, I suggest starting with two batches...
Recipe by Kim Kelly - Liv Life
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Banana Apple (Banapple) Spice Cookies | Liv Life
2 cups All-Purpose flour
1 cup spelt flour (whole wheat or oat would also work)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp Apple Pie Spice *** (we made our own!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil (I used avocado oil)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbs molasses
1 egg
1 apple, peeled and diced
sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with silicone mats, parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and apple pie spice (see below if you don't have apple pie spice).  Set aside.

In a medium bowl,  add the oil, apple sauce, and mashed banana.  Whisk to combine.  Add the sugars, molasses and egg, whisking again to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the flours and stir about 10 stirs with a strong wooden spoon.  Add the diced apple and continue stirring just until incorporated.

Place about 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a bowl.  Roll rounded tablespoons of the dough (it will be a little wet) into a ball and then roll in the bowl of sugar.  Place the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden. 

Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet of a minute or two, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy!


DIY Apple Pie Spice
***Liv Life Note - While we made our own Apple Pie Spice, a near equivalent for this recipe would be:
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

generous 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground ginger
pinch ground cardamom

Note 2:  While I usually love warm cookies, I found I preferred these after they had cooled.  Not that I had any trouble eating the warm ones... I just liked them cooled even better!



Won't you join me as I grab a cup of coffee and make the cookie rounds with some of our Creative Cookie Exchange Members??  I can't wait to try some of these!!






15 comments:

  1. These sound delicious although I am a little concerned that they are fairly loaded with sugar which we try to avoid in our house. You mention that you used the banana and applesauce in place of fat and I was wondering if I were to omit the applesauce how much fat would I need to use in it's place?

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    1. Paula, agreed on the high sugar content! But these sweet bites were worth it for me!
      As for the apple sauce... here's an article from Taste of Home that addresses your question.
      From what I've read this morning, you would want to replace about 1/4 cup of oil if you eliminate the apple sauce.
      http://www.tasteofhome.com/Healthy/Live-Well/Ask-Our-Dietitian/Question-Archive/Baking/How-do-I-replace-the-fat-in-muffins-with-applesauce

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  2. Sounds great! These would be good for breakfast!

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    1. Thanks Stephanie!! Shhh... that's what I did after the kids went to school!!

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  3. Kim, I'm loving the flavor profiles of banana, apple and spice. Utilizing your own spice blend makes it even more fun. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

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    1. Thanks Brooks!! These were amazingly popular. Fun indeed!

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  4. Ohh these look so tasty! I love using banana and apple sauce in baking. And all the spices! Perfect for fall! :)

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  5. I just checked and I have all the ingredients to make these - yay! Bananas tend to become overripe before we can eat them since I buy the large bags from Costco. This always seems to be a win-win situation since we eat what we can, and then freeze some for smoothies or use them in great recipes like this one. And I love that you provided a recipe for the Apple Pie Spice. I can see this being very popular in my house.

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  6. I am always looking for a use for that last banana in the bunch! Why does no one ever want the last banana?! These sound delightful, Kim, with both apple and banana and, oh, that hit of apple pie spice! Yum!

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  7. These look great!!! I am certain my grandkids will LOVE these! Pinned. Will make. Love.

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  8. These sound amazing! This is a perfect treat for my little guy!

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  9. They sound delicious. This would be perfect breakfast cookies, all the goodness all in one place.

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  10. My kids love "banapple", and they will love these cookies! I remember your homemade spice mix. I love your DIY recipes!

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  11. I love these cookies and desperately wish that I ate bananas because they just look fantastic! Perfect back to school treats! Thanks so much for joining us!

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  12. These cookies look delicious and are definitely on the other end of the scale from the cookies that I made for the challenge which were treat or special occasion cookie. I will have to try your recipe as a yummy healthier alternative.

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