Apple Oatmeal Cookies (Take Two)

This is the second time I've made these cookies, but the first time I made them correctly.  They were much better the 2nd time around!

Oatmeal Apple Cookies -Vegan Version
Source: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
 Yield: About 3 dozen small cookies (I'd recommend making fewer but larger cookies)

Ingredients:
8 tbsp vegan butter, softened OR 1/2 cup neutral cooking oil (I used vegan Earth Balance butter)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups (about 5 ounces) chopped dried apples*
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup nondairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together (or use a pastry blender and work by hand); add the applesauce and beat/mix until well blended.
2.  Combine the flour, oats, apples, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.  Alternating with the nondairy milk, add the dry ingredients to the batter by hand, a little at a time, stirring to blend.  Stir in the vanilla.
3. Put tablespoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool for about 2 minutes on the sheets before using a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.  Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two.

*Notes:
- Dried apples are easy to find in ring form. I recommend chopping them with a very sharp knife.  I cut some up with scissors too, but neither way is very easy.
- I made cookies bigger, 2-3 tbsp size after some trial and error.  I would also flatten them into the shape you want them to be before they go in the oven, as mine did not spread at all.  This may be because of the butter I used vs. oil.  The ones that went in as balls came out as balls etc.
-I baked my cookies closer to 10-11 minutes or the apple pieces will begin to burn.  
-These cookies held up for several days and are delicious and unique.

 I put some of the prettiest cookies into a tin for our neighbor as a thank-you for watering our plants.