Gourmet Caramel Apple Cookies

I’ve been seeing all sort’s of wonderful caramel apple treats lately and I wanted to get into the game, so I came up with a cookie version of those gourmet caramel apples that have been tempting me all season.

It took me a couple tries to get them “perfect” but I finally came up with a recipe I liked.  It made a firm, yet slightly sticky dough, filled with fresh apples.

Using a tablespoon size cookie scoop, I made evenly sized cookies and rolled them in a mixture of pecans, almonds, and brown sugar.

Even unbaked, they smelled wonderful!

After baking, I used my cookie scoop to make an impression for the caramel filling.

I used dulce de leche because it’s pretty firm and has a deep caramel flavor, however any caramel topping will work.

And even though I skipped the royal icing, of course I found a reason to use a piping bag…

 and my icing bottles came in REALLY handy for drizzling them with chocolate.

Not quite a caramel apple, but it may very well be the next best thing!

This is a pretty good Saturday project so be sure to swing by the grocery store this evening if you don’t have the ingredients on hand.
Have a wonderful weekend and a safe night of Trick or Treating for those of you who will celebrate Saturday.
Happy Baking!

Caramel Apple Cookies

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen

Caramel Apple Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp. caramel flavoring
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced {about 1 cup}
  • 1 c. almond and pecan pieces
  • 1 tbs. dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 can Dulce de Leche, or about 7 ounces caramel sauce
  • 3 sections each of dark and white almond bark

Instructions

  1. Cream together butter and sugars. Add the egg and flavorings and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Use one tablespoon of the flour mixture and toss with the diced apples until they are well coated. Mix in the flour until it is well incorporated, then add the apples. The dough will be sticky but firm.
  2. Next combine the mixed nuts with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Drop dough into the nut mixture by the tablespoon and roll until well coated with nuts.
  3. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees for 15-17 minutes. When you remove them from the oven use a cookie scoop or spoon to make an impression in the middle of the warm cookies.
  4. After cooling, use a piping bag to fill the cookies with caramel. Drizzle the cookies with white and dark chocolate.
https://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/10/gourmet-caramel-apple-cookies/

If you would rather have the real deal, check out How to Make Gourmet Caramel Apples from Glorious Treats.

If you need something a little stronger, I am loving this Caramel Apple Martini I saw on That’s What We Said!