Each year at the start of the new school year, my colleagues and I from the Light and Tasty Team offer you some ideas for recess and for the children’s snacks. I thought of preparing some soft cookies with ACE juice, a new version of those spoon-drop cookies that are a hit at my house because they’re a cross between cookies and small donuts and are suitable for many occasions. And they’re super easy to make, which is important in our busy daily lives. 😉

We usually eat them for breakfast, but they’re also great for an afternoon snack or a mid-morning bite. And since they’re healthy, not too sweet, enriched with fruit, and don’t crumble, you can easily pack them in your kids’ backpacks, sealed in a bag or small container.

The color of the ACE juice gives them a nice orange hue that kids are sure to love. 😊

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At the end of the recipe, as always, you’ll find other Light and Tasty proposals. And if you need more ideas for soft cookies, below I’ll leave you links to other versions available on the blog, as well as the collection (there’s all of them!). 👇

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 20 Pieces
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

Ingredients

👉 These soft cookies with ACE juice are egg-free and dairy-free.

The ACE juice replaces the yogurt or kefir that I’m used to using in this type of cookie, while the egg, borrowing a habit from vegan cooking, I’ve replaced with a tablespoon of starch.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 oz ACE juice
1 1/2 tbsp corn oil
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch (about 1/2 oz)
1/2 cup apple (half an apple)
1/4 cup pear (one slice)
lemon zest (grated)
to taste nuts (as you like)
to taste mixed seeds (as you like)
to taste candied orange zest
1 tsp baking powder

Tools

Bowl
Spoon
Baking Tray
Parchment Paper

Steps

Pour the ACE juice into a bowl.
Add the oil and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar.
👉 You need just a little sugar, the juice is already fairly sweet.
Pour in the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch (potato starch works too).
Mix until you get a coarse mixture.
Chop the apple and pear into small pieces and add them to the mixture.
Stir to combine them into the mixture.
Flavor with a grating of lemon or orange zest.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and scoop the mixture using a spoon (or a teaspoon if you want smaller cookies).
Decorate the cookies with nuts or seeds.
👉 I’ve tried them with pine nuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts, and also with candied orange and raisins.
👉 Instead of leaving them on top, both nuts and seeds can be incorporated directly into the dough. This also helps prevent potential surface burning (which happened to me with hazelnuts).
Optional step: sprinkle with sugar before baking to achieve a crunchier surface.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown.
👉 Usually in about 15 to 20 minutes, they’re ready. If they’re small, they can bake in just 10 minutes; you need to judge based on the size and your own oven.
Enjoy your snack and so will your children!! 🤩
Little curiosity:
I’ve also tried them with Red ACE juice, and contrary to my expectations, the color turned out less intense, more pinkish, which after baking is even less noticeable (see the next photo).
Nevertheless… still delicious! And my husband devoured them all! (not exactly a snack for the kids! 😄😁)!
If you’re looking for a container to put in the backpack, I found this small snack container with cartoon and superhero characters. I really like it, and it’s the right size to hold cookies. If it’s for you, check it out! 😊