Fig and Goat Cheese Cookies Recipe

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  
2. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and apple sauce* in a medium sized mixing bowl for 2 minutes until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix to blend. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.  Add pistachio nuts to flour and mix.  Add the flour mixture all at once to the butter and apple sauce mixture. Blend dry ingredients on low speed for 1 minute, until just combined.  Chop the figs, reserve 20 pieces and then add the remaining to the batter.  Stir once more.   
4. Drop cookie dough in heaping tablespoons onto parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. You should have 20 cookies.  Place remaining fig pieces on top of the cookies. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of goat cheese to the top of each fig.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Serve while still warm.   

*Note:  it is best not to use sweetened applesauce in this recipe as it adds additional NC.  Try it with unsweetened apple sauce instead.  Note that the serving size is two cookies, recipe makes 20 cookies.