Reduced-Fat Banana Oatmeal Cookies

   I heartily endorse year-round baking, but even the slightest hint of Autumn in the early September air sends me into a full-on flour frenzy. After a round of back-to-school shopping on Sunday evening, I whipped up a batch of these banana oatmeal cookies with some cardamom cinnamon tea to welcome my favorite season (and to entice a crisp Fall breeze).  It's still too early for pumpkin muffins, cinnamon rolls, and gingerbread men, but these oatmeal cookies provide just the right amount of spiciness to remind you to pull out your winter coat, along with enough sweetness to comfort you after you miss the school bus or the bully steals your lunch money. Bonus: they're not too bad for you. As far as cookies are concerned, they're practically a health food.
   Fellow blogger Katie requested the recipe after I mentioned them on Twitter so blame her if you hate them (kidding):

Reduced-Fat Banana Oatmeal Cookies

1 large or 2 small bananas, mashed

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbs. non-dairy milk

2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp. pie spice (see note)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries,  walnuts and/or chocolate chips (optional)

NOTE: If you do not have apple or pumpkin pie spice, combine 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. dried ginger and a pinch of ground cloves.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. 

In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, applesauce, and banana until well-combined. Add the molasses, vanilla, and non-dairy milk and mix. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add in batches to the banana/sugar mixture and combine, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips, if using, and drop by generous tablespoons onto the cookie sheet. Bake 10-13 minutes until the bottoms are just beginning to brown. Let cool on the sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing the cookies to a cooling rack or flat plate to finish cooling. Or just eat them right away, like we did. 

These are much cakier than your typical oatmeal cookie and taste delicious with strong-brewed coffee or tea.