Today....cookies.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (Next time around, I'll try just a cup of butter or add another cup of applesauce instead of the shortening/butter combo.)                   
• 1 cup applesauce (natural, no sugar added)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 scoop dried milk (the scoop in my package reconstitutes to 8oz of 'milk')
• 1 scoop Benefiber (I used the milk scoop....)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line at least two full sized cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the sugar, shortening, egg, vanilla and almond extract until creamy (or, turn on the mixer and deal with whatever kids' emergencies erupt whenever you try to do something on your own. by the time you get back, it'll be done). Mix in the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon. Make several small balls of dough. Roll out dough to about 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick.
3. Allow your young child to pick the cookie cutters they want to use. If they are under five, good luck explaining why the cuts can't overlap. Be prepared for tears when gingerbread men are triple amputees before they ever make it to the oven. 
4. Step back and remember that this is supposed to be fun. The experience and the cookies are for the kid(s) anyway--let them do it how they want, even if it means you can only get three cookies out of a doughball before you have to rework the scraps. Feel free to decorate with gumdrops, sprinkles, nuts, raisins, etc.               
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes. The bottom will likely brown before the tops turn "golden" so be ready to pull them at the first hint of tint. Cool on a rack. Serve with a tall, cold glass of milk.

A post-production note: these are not very sweet cookies, so if you are splurging calorically, or just don't give a damn, feel free to liberally apply icing of your choosing (or jam--they're quite tasty with jam). My kids (both under three) are quite content with them as they are, so I haven't tried adding any additional sugar en masse.