Low Fat Blueberry Pancake Cookies

This is an awesome cookie that is not a total diet-breaker or calorie splurge.  I am absolutely in love with blueberry pancakes, but I tend to go a little crazy and take like ten to the face when I make them.  So, I decided to experiment with a smaller version of these in cookie form.  These are delicious and simple drop cookies with the same texture and taste as homemade bluerberry pancakes.  I made them low-fat by substituting the original called for half cup of shortening with a half cup of applesauce.  This made them moist and chewy.  There's no apple flavor and hardly any fat!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine applesauce and sugar in large mixing bowl.  It should have the consistency of an exfoliating scrub (hmmm....idea for a new facial mask just popped into my head)

Add the egg to the bowl and beat well

In a small bowl, combine the milk and almond extract.  In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the applesauce and sugar mixture. Mix well.  The batter will be really thick.

Finally, add the blueberries.  Be gentle when you stir them in so they don't get crushed.  You want them whole in the cookies or your final product will be bright blue.

Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven, let them cool on wire racks.

Finished product, yum yum!

You can totally freeze these goodies for later.

Low Fat Blueberry Pancake Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fat-free skim milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• In a large bowl, combine applesauce and sugar, mix well
• Add egg to applesauce mixture.  Beat well
• In a small bowl combine milk and almond extract
• In a second small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt
• Alternately add wet and dry ingredients to applesauce mixture.  Stir until batter is thick and blended
• Add blueberries, fold in gently so as not to crush them.
• Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes
• Remove from oven, let cool on wire racks

ENJOY!