Applesauce Cookies With Vanilla Icing
A vanilla icing is the perfect topping for these soft old-fashioned applesauce cookies.
Old-fashioned applesauce cookies feature a delicious vanilla icing and chopped pecans. Feel free to replace the pecans with walnuts or another chopped nut. I like these applesauce cookies because they’re quick and easy drop cookies, and the vanilla icing is the perfect finishing touch.
Applesauce Cookies With Vanilla Icing
A vanilla icing is the perfect topping for these soft applesauce cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 8 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans, plus more for sprinkling if desired
- Vanilla Icing
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the flour, soda, spices, and salt; stir to blend and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the brown sugar and shortening until smooth and fluffy; beat in the applesauce, egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in the flour and spice mixture until well blended. Fold in the raisins or chopped nuts.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 400 F.
- Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until set.
- Immediately remove the cookies to racks and let them cool.
- In a bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons of butter with the confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat to blend with enough milk or half-and-half to make a thin icing.
- Spread the icing on the cooled cookies. If desired, sprinkle with extra chopped pecans.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
