Sweet on Sunday - Iced Oatmeal Cookies

As far as vegan cooking goes, I've found baking to be by far the easiest - too easy, in fact. Don't get me wrong, it's all easy once to develop your repertoire of favorites, but the baking is, literally, a piece of cake. People are often astonished that it's possible to whip up moist, delicious baked goods without eggs or butter, but it's one area where I can guarantee you'll never feel like anything is missing.

That said, a vegan cookie is still a cookie . . . tasty and delicious, but something we try to save for special occasions. As hard as I may try, I will never figure out how to make one that's the nutritional equivalent of a salad . . . but these Iced Oatmeal Cookies from the February 2010 Vegetarian Times really are a step in the right direction.

Using oat flour and oats as the base, they contain no wheat flour and only 3/4 cup of sugar for the whole recipe. In addition, the applesauce reduces the fat, so the recipe only requires 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. The icing, of course, is another story . . . I just drizzle really lightly and try not to think about it.