Fall is officially here. Just ask me. I have already indulged in Pumpkin Lattes, light jackets and closed toe shoes. 60 degree weather is in the forcast and we've turned off the air. It doesn't get much more fally than that! Along with the cooler weather comes apples and cinnamon and caramel and...the list goes on and on. It was time for a fall cookie.
I have also become quite addicted to Pinterest lately. It is where I find all my recipes, crafts, home remedies and clothing I'll never be able to afford. It also introduced me to many other blogs I wouldn't normally visit. One of those being Michael Wurm's blog entitled "Inspired by Charm". I think he is me in another life. He has such cute ideas for decorations, crafts and sweet treats. You can find his blog here: www.inspiredbycharm.com. He also runs a bed and breakfast (my favorite) that I think if I ever visited I would just move in. I have pinned and repinned many of his posts, this being one of them. These cookies seemed so significantly "fall" that I had to make them right away. Apple pie is next on the docket...
Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Original website: http://www.inspiredbycharm.com/2012/09/caramel-stuffed-apple-cider-cookies.html
Please note: I halved everything since my grocery store was not yet stocking Alpine Cider. Apparently the didn't know my feelings on it already being fall. I did, however, find five packets of apple cider lounging around in my cabinets so I went from there. I am listing the original measurements for a whole batch.
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 7.4 oz box Apline Spiced Cider Instant Original Drink Mix; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 cups flour; 1 14oz bag Kraft caramels
Directions: 1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. 2. Beat together butter, sugars and all 10 packets of drink mix. 3. Beat in eggs one at a time and then add vanilla extract. 4. Add in dry ingredients, a little at a time, until just combined. 5. Refrigerate dough for 30min to 1hour. This will help to form the dough around the caramels. 6. Preheat oven to 350 and unwrap your caramels. 7. Roll 1 1/2 tbsp of dough in your hands and flatten between palms. Place caramel in center of the dough and wrap dough around the caramel to seal it up. Feel free to add more dough if it is thin. This will help keep the caramel tucked inside while it bakes. 8. Place dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 12-14 mins or until edges are just slightly brown. These cookies are easily burnt so watch them carefully. Mine baked for 12min 30 sec and they came out perfect. 9. After you take them out, slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and onto the counter to cool. When they are cool to the touch, twist them off the paper and cool them on a cooling rack. If they are oozing from the bottom, cool them upside down. I let mine cool on the paper for a while so they were just perfect when I put them on the cooling rack.
They were warm ooey gooey when they came right out of the oven. It was very hard to let them cool long enough to not burn off the roof of my mouth, but totally worth the wait. They taste just like a caramel apple with a hint of spice. I love the mix of flavors it creates by adding the cider mix to the bater. Definitely the "fally" type of cookie I was looking for!
These were a hit! As expected, of course. They stayed soft for a few days. I definitely liked them better fresh out of the oven because the caramel was still gooey. My fave. The apple cider taste comes through as very potent. I love that, but some people might not. I would recommend using a little less in a full batch so it is not as powerful. Maybe add a bit more cinnamon sugar instead of a whole packet of apple cider. Just a thought. Enjoy!
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