substituting apple sauce for butter in cookies

[loridori]

hi, i have a cookie recipe from one of the old moosewood cookbooks with 1 cup butter. It is possible to substitute a half a cup of apple sauce for half of the butter? I have never tried it in baking though it is often recommended. How is your experience with this? thanks laura

[kwormann]

Yes, you can...and actually I like sour cream (fat free, light etc) better than applesauce. Something else to think about :)

[CompassRose]

It is possible, but they will not be very cookie-like; they'll be more like soft cakes. For cookies, a better sub is often syrup -- corn syrup or rice syrup or honey -- but you then have to reduce the sugar, too.

[annagins]

It really depends on the recipe. If it's something like a molasses or oatmeal cookie, apple butter would probably work well. If it's a chocolate chip or shortbreadish type cookie, I'd go with all butter and eat half the number of cookies.