You might already be inundated with images of cupid and hearts at this time of year, but on top of Valentine’s Day, did you know that February is American Heart Month? I’ve been developing a tasty and satisfying rollout cookie to honor that theme.
When I started out, I was determined to cut down the amount of fat needed in a traditional rollout cookie, but they still needed to taste like the real deal. The end result is a cookie that is fortified with applesauce (for moisture), whole wheat flour (for fiber), and cinnamon (for antioxidants AND flavor). Using these ingredients, I was able to cut the butter content in half and still have a cookie that tastes and smells great. In keeping with the theme, I used the Heart Comfort Grip™ Cutter to make my cookies. Ice them with Wilton Cookie Icing, like mine, or just drizzle with confectioners’ glaze. Here’s to your heart!
Cinnamon Applesauce Cookies
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sweetened applesauce
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Optional Icing:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
In medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg; mix well. Add applesauce, vanilla and almond extract; mix until well combined. Add flour mixture to butter; mix until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Press dough to flatten; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly flour work surface and roll dough 1/8 in. thick. Cut dough into hearts or other desired shapes. Gather scrapes and reroll to 1/8 in. thick and cut shapes; prick with a fork to prevent bubbling.
Bake cookies 12-14 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool cookies on cookie sheet for 2 minutes; transfer to cooling grid to cool completely.
Optional Icing: Stir confectioners’ sugar and water together until smooth. Spread or drizzle over cookies.
Makes 12 large cookies.
Beth is the Culinary Specialist in the test kitchen at Wilton. She spends her days examining Wilton products to make sure that they are up to par, helping refine ideas for new Wilton items, and developing fun and simple recipes. The recipes on all Wilton bakeware and Wilton.com originate in the test kitchen, and it’s Beth’s favorite part of the job. Before joining Wilton, Beth worked as a cake decorator and pastry chef. She’s baked, decorated, and delivered hundreds of wedding and birthday cakes, and loves the idea that in some small way, her creations have played a role in so many celebrations. When she’s not in the test kitchen, you can find Beth cooking and baking for her friends and family, and dining out all over Chicago.