Old English Lemon-Cranberry Cookies

Fall cuisine is typically marked by what many consider to be more traditional and even somewhat austere flavors. Fall cuisine usually boasts ‘Old World’ flavors such as cloves, walnuts, and cranberries. These are flavors one might have envisioned a puritan family enjoying fresh off the Mayflower. At first bite, the robust ‘kick’ and bold expression of these little treats will be sure to impress and delight, and possibly even allow one to reminisce on the joys of autumn, from the fading leaves to the memories of a Thanksgiving past.

Original recipe makes 30 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

PREP

15 mins
COOK

10 mins
READY IN

55 mins

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, walnuts, and cloves together in a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg, applesauce, lemon juice, vanilla, cranberries, lemon zest, and butter together in a separate bowl with an electric hand mixer; pour into the flour mixture and mix well. Drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar to serve.