Mauer Family Frosted Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

½ cup unsweetened, unflavored applesauce

1 scant cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at 65 degrees

½ cup firmly packed, light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup seedless raisins

1½ cups quick-cooking, rolled oats

Vegetable oil spray

Frosting

2 tablespoons fat-reduced margarine

1 tablespoon strong coffee

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

1 cup powdered sugar

Place a strainer over a bowl deep enough to keep the strainer's bottom from touching the bottom of the bowl. Add applesauce; set aside. Place rack in the center oven position and heat to 375 degrees. Lightly spray cookie sheets with vegetable oil.

In a medium bowl stir or whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda until well combined. Set aside.

Add the butter and ¼ cup drained applesauce, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the large bowl of an electric mixer and at medium speed, for 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl's sides from time to time. Add the egg white, egg, and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds or until well combined. Add raisins and oatmeal, mix for 15 seconds. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just moistened. Do not over mix.

Drop the dough by level tablespoons on to prepared cookie sheets and bake 8 minutes. To test if done, carefully press the center of a cookie, if it springs back it is done. Remove the cookies from the pan to a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

For the frosting: Add the margarine, coffee, cinnamon and vanilla to a small mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the powdered sugar and stir and whisk until combined and the frosting is spreadable. (If frosting's too thin; add more sugar; if too thick, add more coffee a ¼ to ½ teaspoon at a time.) Frost each cookie with a thin-bladed metal spatula or sandwich spreader. Once frosting dries, cookies should be stored in a single layer.

Makes 3 dozen, 2-inch cookies.

Cook's note: These cookies do not keep well at room temperature, but do keep better when refrigerated.

Nutrition values per cookie: 85 calories(19.5 percent from fat), 1.8 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 16.8 g carbohydrates, 0.6 g fiber, 1.2 g protein, 9 mg cholesterol, 66 mg sodium.