Description
Sweet caramel apple cider cookies blend autumn’s most beloved flavors into a delightful treat. Crisp edges and gooey centers make these cookies an irresistible companion for chilly afternoons when friends gather.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (280 g / 9.9 oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz) dried apples, chopped
- ¾ cup (150 g / 5.3 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g / 3.9 oz) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) caramel sauce (plus extra for drizzling)
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) apple cider
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper for effortless cookie release.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a mixing bowl, creating a harmonious dry ingredient foundation that will ensure balanced flavor and consistent texture.
- Butter Transformation: Cream butter with granulated and brown sugars until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale, developing a rich, complex base for the cookies.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Blend egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, ensuring smooth and thorough incorporation of liquid components.
- Dough Development: Gradually fold dry ingredients and apple cider into the wet mixture, creating a fragrant, cohesive dough that balances moisture and structural integrity.
- Apple Infusion: Incorporate chopped dried apples throughout the dough, guaranteeing an even distribution of apple essence in every delectable bite.
- Cookie Formation and Baking: Distribute rounded dough portions onto prepared sheets, allowing adequate spacing for natural spreading, and bake for 12-15 minutes until edges turn a golden, caramelized brown.
- Cooling and Finishing: Rest cookies briefly on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling before elegantly drizzling with caramel sauce, adding a luxurious final touch that elevates the cookie’s flavor complexity.
Notes
- Handle with Care: Fresh ingredients like real apple cider and dried apples dramatically boost authentic flavor compared to artificial substitutes.
- Temperature Matters: Room temperature butter and egg blend more smoothly, creating a more uniform cookie texture and preventing dense, lumpy dough.
- Moisture Management: Don’t overmix the dough, which can develop tough gluten and result in dense, chewy cookies instead of soft, tender ones.
- Baking Precision: Use parchment paper or silicone mats to ensure even browning and prevent cookies from sticking, guaranteeing perfect edges and easy removal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 162
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 72 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg