Spelt Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I feel like oatmeal- raisin cookies are a real cozy food.
What's a cozy food you ask?
Those foods that are like a warm hig on a cold day. What you want to eat curled up on your couch with a blanket in slippers while you watch rain drops slip down the window.

Nothing puts me in a baking mood like a grey day. I don't feel guilty about being inside because i'm not missing out on any good weather, and as your kitchen fills with the smells of cinnamon, sugar, and butter you start to feel a little more, well....cozy.

These cookies are my healthier version of the classic. This version cuts way down on butter and uses whole wheat spelt flour instead of white. They have the soft, chewy texture I like in cookies, while still having crisp browned edges. This is a marvel considering the lack of fat.

I use just 2 tablespoons of oil and applesauce replaces the rest of the fat. Applesauce makes a great pairing with the cinnamon, raisins, and oats, and keeps the cookies light. Applesauce can often be substituted for 1/2 the fat in recipes like quick breads. Something to try next time you make banana bread, another all-star cozy food.

Sweet, but not too heavy, these are a perfect treat to slip into your work-week lunch, or with a cup of tea on a dreary day.

makes 18 cookies

1 cup spelt flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp softened butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

2. In a large bowl whisk together sugars and oil until smooth. Add in applesauce, egg, and vanilla and beat to combine.

3. Add in dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain, then fold in oats and raisins.

4. Drop 2 tablespoon portions of dough 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies are golden and set, rotating pans halfway through. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.