Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups raisins
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Cooking Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the buttter . Add the brown sugar and continue creaming. Then add the eggs and applesauce mixing well. Gradually add the dry ingredients and raisins to make dough.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet (save those butter papers!) and bake until light golden brown, about 9 to13 minutes. The cookies do not brown very much. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Applesauce:
6 apples, McIntosh preferred
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Peel and core apples and cut into quarters. Place them in an enamel sauce pan with the water and lemon juice then bring to a boil then turn the heat down slightly and simmer 30 minutes to break them down and get them to thicken. Take off the heat and stir in the sugar and cinnamon, if using.

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 1/2 cups flour
Cookie filling, recipe follows
Cookie filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 orange, zested

Cooking Recipe:

Cream the butter with a paddle attachment then mix in the sugar. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
Cookie Filling: In a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl. Whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools). Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.