Three out of Six

Apricot, Cherry and Ginger Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugars, molasses and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add egg, extract and ginger. Add applesauce, flours, oats, cornmeal, baking powder and soda. Stir in dried fruits and walnuts. Drop on ungreased cookie sheets by rounded teaspoons then bake for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool 2 or 3 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Hints: Butter at room temperature is easiest to work with. Use a microplaner to grate the ginger finely enough. No need to peel the ginger root. The ginger flavor comes out even more when the cookies are a day old.

The aroma is fabulous when these are in the oven! I took them to my Primary class of 7-8 year olds and Three out of Six loved them, asking for seconds and thirds and "can I take one for my little sister?" Of course that means that Three out of Six were disgusted, dumping their cookies in the trash and one even spit out the bite he had taken with a grimace and not very kind works. I had to work hard not to laugh out loud. There is some of my mother in me, a part that finds it terribly amusing when someone hates food offered to them. Like when she had my dad eat an olive off a tree; she couldn't stop laughing. But these cookies are nothing like that--they are very good. Some little children just don't have the palate to appreciate them and that is fine--more for me and the other Three!