Caramel Apple Cookies

Caramel Apple Cookies

Scroll to find recipe and step by step instructions.

Servings Size:

• makes approximately 12-13 cookies

Measurments:

Cookie Dough

• 1 cup butter

• 1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp apple extract

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp molasses (optional)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup blended freeze-dried apples (optional if you used apple extract)

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/4 cup shortening (Crisco) (you can substitute with more butter)

• 3 cup powdered sugar

• 4 tbsp heavy cream (or 2 tbsp milk)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp apple extract

Caramel Drizzle

• 1 1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 5 tbsp room temperature butter

• 2 tsp salt

Topping

• 1 chopped apple (you can add a little bit of lemon juice to your apple slices to avoid browning)

Apple Extract?

You can always use real fruit or ingredients to flavor your desserts, though I find that extract enhance the flavor tremendously. For this recipe, you may blend up freeze dried apples, though if you use apple extract it will really bring out a sweet apple flavor, unlike any flavor you can get through using real apples. My favorite brand to use (that isn’t as pricy as some others) is linked below!

Link for Apple Extract (Amazon)

Buttercream Frosting

I will always recommend using buttercream frosting because it always has a perfect consistency and is the most simple to make (if you follow the recipe and instructions correctly). However, the texture and consistency of your buttercream frosting depends on your environment. Your frosting will not hold a design very well in warmer environments. It is necessary to keep desserts with buttercream frosting chilled while you are storing them to avoid the frosting melted off of your dessert or becoming too soft—losing the design. You will lose your frosting swirl on top of your cookie if you leave it in heat for too long.

A way to avoid losing the design in the heat, whipping the butter for a longer amount of time (maybe 8-10 minutes) before you add any other ingredient may help stabilize it. Adding more powdered sugar or lessening the amount of heavy cream/milk substitute you use will also aid in this issue. Some buttercream recipes require more milk substances such as heavy cream to give it a fluffier texture. If this is the case and you want to put this dessert in a warmer environment for whatever reason, do not use this recipe for your buttercream or remove most of the liquid and replace it with more butter and powdered sugar.

A key factor to getting stable and airy buttercream that is not too dense is whipping your butter before adding any other ingredients. I always allow my butter to reach a white color and double in size before I add anything. This will allow your buttercream to be more airy without creating unnecessary air pockets.

Step 1

• Preheat oven to convection 350 degrees fahrenheit.

• Beat room temperature butter in stand mixer/by hand for 3-5 minutes (or until butter turns off-white).

• Step 2

• Add in brown and white sugar. Beat the sugar with the butter until the mixture is fluffy (about 2 minutes).

• Step 3

• Add your egg and stir into mixture.

• Mix in vanilla, molasses, and apple extract.

• Step 4

• Add flour, baking powder, freeze dried apple blend (optional) and salt to form your dough. If using a stand mixer, mix on low. If mixing by hand, use a spatula.

• Step 5

• Use a 1/3 cup scoop (or however much your heart desires) and place a single ball of dough on baking tray. THIS IS YOUR TEST COOKIE! Always start with baking a single cookie, to make sure you didn’t forget an ingredient and/or your oven isn’t too hot (some ovens have hot-spots or cook things quicker/slower than others). This is also a good indicator of how much your cookie will spread.

• Step 6

• After baking your test cookie, place cookie dough balls on your tray. Use your test cookie to estimate how many cookies you can fit on your tray. (I was able to fit 6 on my trays) (I also flattened my cookies a little)

• Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes (for 1/3 cup scoop).

• For perfectly circular cookies, use a circular bowl/cup and swirl around your fresh cookie to make edges clean. Then let cookies sit on tray for about 10 minutes before removing.

• Step 7

• For caramel, combine/mix sugar and water into a large saucepan and then let simmer over medium-low heat WITHOUT MIXING. Use water and a silicon basting brush to brush the sugar crystals down the side of the saucepan, so they don’t become sugar chunks in your caramel.

• Heat up your heavy cream in microwave or in a separate saucepan till it’s mildly hot.

• After mixture is golden brown (and there are no sugar crystals on the top) remove from heat and add heavy cream. It will start to bubble and sizzle, but mix until the heavy cream and sugar mixture is well combined.

• Add room temperature butter to your caramel mixture after heavy cream is well combined.

• Lastly, add your salt and mix caramel over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add into a glass/heat-safe bowl and let cool slightly before topping your cookies.

• Step 8

• For frosting, beat butter and shortening together until mixture turns off-white.

• Then add your powdered sugar until fully incorporated.

• Lastly add your heavy cream and extracts. Whip the mixture to let the heavy cream fluffen your mixture. If you want, mix frosting with a spatula to take away some of the air bubbles (this will help you avoid air bubbles when piping it out)

• Step 9

• Peel an apple and chop into small chunks for topping (you can cook the apples, though caramel apples are generally chilled apples).

• Frost your cookies and add chopped apple and caramel drizzle on top.

• Put in fridge to store up to 10 days (do not leave at room temperature)!