Applesauce Gingersnap Drops

I love these gingersnaps. They don't include any egg, and a very small amount of margarine, so they are lower in fat and cholesterol than most other gingersnap recipes I've tried. I also like that they are drop cookies. Besides cutting the prep time by removing the necessity of chilling before baking, this also makes for a lot less mess on your hands. It also feels nice to sneak a bit more fruit into the family's diet. The end result is a big, light, crispy-outside, chewy-inside "snappy" snap that is great with coffee, cocoa, or milk, and travels well. They are also sturdy enough to sandwich together - you might try with a light cream cheese frosting, or even vanilla ice cream, between two cookies for a kid-pleasing treat.

• Ready In: 21 mins
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2  tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1⁄2 cup applesauce
• 1⁄4 cup molasses

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In medium bowl, sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, allspice, and salt.
4. In large bowl, cream together sugar and margarine until well-blended.
5. Stir in applesauce and molasses.
6. Add flour mixture to applesauce mixture; mix until well blended.
7. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 1 inch apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
8. Flatten each slightly with moistened fingertips.
9. Bake 11-14 minutes, or until firm.
10. Watch carefully at end of baking, to prevent overbrowning.