Bready or Not: Caramel Apple Cookies
These Caramel Apple Cookies involve some extra work, but they are worth it. These are among the best cookies I have ever made. That’s saying something.
They also might involve some blood-letting. Let’s just say I will never again try to grate apple. I’m fine with finely dicing with a knife from now on.
But hey, as history and mythology has taught us, sometimes blood-letting comes to good purpose. These are chewy, sweet, soft apple cookies topped with caramel. If that’s not worth sacrifice, what is?
Use some variety of sweet-tart apple like you’d use for a pie. I used Braeburn, but Granny Smith and Jonathan are also good choices. 1 cup grated/diced is most of a medium apple.
These cookies reminded me of a fresh-made and frosted version of the Little Debbie’s Apple Delights that I loved loved loved as a kid. I have never before had a homemade cookie that was like this.
You may have some frosting leftover at the end; I had about 1/3 cup. Just look for random things you can frost like Golden Oreos, the cat, graham crackers, human flesh, etc. Trust me, you don’t want this apple-caramel frosting to go to waste.
Modified from Fall Baking 2016 by Better Homes & Gardens.
Bready or Not: Caramel Apple Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- sprinkle cloves
- sprinkle nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup apple cider or juice
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup tart apple peeled and coarsely shredded or diced, most of a medium apple
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider or juice
- 2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth, then add brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and salt. Continue to beat until fluffy, scraping bowl as needed.
- Beat in the egg and apple cider or juice. Slowly mix in flour. Fold in the apple bits last; dough will be very soft.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to space out dollops of dough on the parchment paper. Bake about 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown; be careful not to under-bake, as the cookies need to be sturdy enough to be frosted. Completely cool cookies on wire rack.
- When the cookies are cool, begin making frosting on stovetop. On medium heat in small saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, and apple cider or juice. Heat until the brown sugar is dissolved. Gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.
- Begin frosting cookies immediately; the back of a spoon works well. If the frosting in the pan begins to harden, stir in a few drops of hot water until it is smooth again.
- Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature with wax paper between the layers.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Bars
Last month I shared a recipe for Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars. This time around, I’m sharing easy and straightforward Apple Butter Bars.
This is a totally original recipe out of necessity. I tried another recipe, and ended up with a crumbly mess. Therefore, I decided to adapt my Lemon Cheesecake Bar recipe.
That attempt turned out perfect. It’s fast to make, as you don’t have to bake in stages, and the end result was cohesive.
Do note that these are best chilled. They will get softer if kept at room temperature for a while.
The taste is phenomenal. The crumb layers taste like vanilla shortbread, with a sporadic crunch from nuts. The thin layer of apple butter adds just the right about of spice and flavor.
This would be great with other fruit butters, too!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts chopped finely
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups apple butter or other fruit butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, blend together flour, walnuts, confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla, until it is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crumbs; press the rest into the ready pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are turning golden brown and crust is set.
- Pour apple butter over crust and smooth to edges. Crumble reserved flour mixture all over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature then chill in fridge. Use foil to lift out bars to slice. Store in sealed container in the fridge for maximum flavor and cohesiveness.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies
If you love apples and oatmeal cookies, this unique recipe combines those loves in a delicious new form!
These Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies are thin and super chewy. Don’t substitute applesauce here. You need real apple butter, homemade or store-bought.
The dough can be finicky to work with. I use well-seasoned stoneware for my cookies, and I was surprised that my first batch completely stuck to the pan. After over a decade of seasoning the stoneware, that almost never happens!
The solution is simple: parchment paper. Keep it on the paper to bake and to cool, allowing the cookies to completely set. That doesn’t take long.
The end result is a thin, chewy oatmeal cookie with a rich apple flavor. I’ve never had anything quite like them!
Modified from Apple Butter Cookies in Best Loved Cookies & Bars by Taste of Home.
Bready or Not: Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter half stick, softened
- 2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons apple butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, oats, and apple butter.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Gradually mix them into the butter mix, followed by the pecans and raisins. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper; note that the paper is a necessity, as this dough is very sticky. Scoop dough by teaspoonful, with lots of space between each dollop to account for spreading.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Use parchment paper to lift the cookies onto a rack to cool, and put fresh paper on the cookie sheet. Prepare the next batch. By the time the next cookies are baked, the previous batch should be set and ready to move off the cooling rack.
- Pack cookies with parchment or wax paper between layers, as they might stick together.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
Apple cake and apple pie are the favorites of the men in my family, and this Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake met their full approval!
I try out different apple recipes on a regular basis; my apple tag on the site attests to that.
This recipe resembles another old favorite of mine, my basic apple cake that is made in a square baking pan.
The new recipe, however, makes more cake with an overall showier presentation. I love that sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar on top!
The most difficult thing about making this cake is peeling and chopping up the apples. After that, everything comes together quite quickly.
The end result is a tender, moist cake flecked with apple chunks. It’s the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert, and is tasty hot or cold.
Modified from Taste of Home Sunday Best 2015.
Bready or Not: Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 medium apples peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- confectioners' sugar to sift over top optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.
- In a large bowl, stir cinnamon to coat the chopped apples. Set aside.
- In another big bowl, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl, then slowly add it into the liquid mixture. Stir in the apples.
- Pour the batter into the ready pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then carefully invert the cake out of the pan and onto a wire rack to completely cool.
- Keep stored in fridge. If desired, before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Slices may be eaten cold or warmed up in the microwave. Cake can also be frozen in slices for later enjoyment.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Brown-Butter Apple-Cardamom Dutch Baby
Let’s finish up the breakfast theme with a glorious Brown-Butter Apple-Cardamom Dutch Baby.
When I say ‘I’m cooking a Dutch baby,’ I can’t help but marvel at how lewd it sounds. I expect the FBI to come knocking.
I didn’t name the dish, but I can state with certainty that no babies are harmed in the making of this recipe. (Well, not in MY house. You watch your kids around that stove!)
It’s been a while since I posted my more basic Dutch baby recipe. This new version has even more oomph since it includes brown butter and an apple.
A Dutch baby is a fabulous way to whip up a fast breakfast for a couple people. Everyone can ooh and ahh at how it looks when it comes out of the oven… and sigh at how it deflates as soon as it’s cut.
But that’s okay. A deflated Dutch baby is still absolutely delicious. (Go away, FBI!)
Modified from Martha Stewart Magazine.
Bready or Not: Brown-Butter Apple-Cardamom Dutch Baby
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup milk or half & half or almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 medium apple Granny Smith or Gala work well, cored, peeled, sliced into thin wedges
Instructions
- Place butter in a saucepan; a light-bottomed pan makes it easier to prevent overcooking. Heat on medium, swirling occasionally to distribute the butter. Butter will begin to foam, and the color will change from lemony to golden to brown. At that point, it should emit a nutty aroma. That means it's done! Immediately remove from heat and pour butter into a bowl to cool.
- Preheat oven at 450-degrees and place a 10-inch cast iron skillet to heat up as well.
- In a bowl, stir together the sugar and cardamom.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high until they are pale and frothy. Add the flour, salt, milk, vanilla, and a heaping tablespoon of the cardamom-sugar. Beat everything until it's smooth, though expect the batter to be thin.
- Using a potholder, pull the skillet from the oven. Pour in the brown butter and apple slices, stirring a few times to coat the fruit and pan. Spread the apple pieces into a fairly even layer across the bottom and pour the batter over it. Immediately return skillet to oven.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the Dutch Baby is puffed and golden. Sprinkle a couple more tablespoons of the cardamom-sugar on top. Serve immediately.
Bonus Bready or Not: Dried Apple Pie Feature at Unbound Worlds
Just in time for this week’s holidays (Independence Day! And heck, Canada Day, too!) I’m sharing a special recipe over at Unbound Worlds. I combined a bunch of 19th-century recipes to create my own recipe for Dried Apple Pie. A century ago, that was the handiest way to make apple pie all year-round no matter where you lived. This is how my character Ingrid Carmichael learned to make apple pie from her mother.
It’s actually a pretty simple recipe, too–all you have to do is re-hydrate the apples in some apple cider or juice! You’re spared the pain of peeling the apples, too. Check out the recipe and post at Unbound Worlds.
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