Caramel Apple Cookies
by Katie Goodman
What does the arrival of fall make you want to do? The answer to that question for many might be: bake. There is nothing better than the warm, sweet smell of freshly baked goodies. And it finally feels cool enough outside that turning the oven on doesn't feel so taboo. What else comes to mind with the crisp fall air? Back to school, changing leaves, apples, hayrides, carnivals, and caramel apples, to name a few.
These caramel apple cookies take several fall favorites and put them together in one fabulous treat. Caramel baking bits make it easy to add caramel to cookies (or brownies) because you don't have to spend time cutting the caramels into bite-sized pieces. Caramel apple cookies are sure to be a hit for fall carnivals, after-school snacks, or a special treat "just because."
What is your favorite part of fall? Lately I've been enjoying free time outside cleaning up the yard from the summer, planting my fall garden, and getting spring bulbs in the ground. It's nice to come in for a special treat after hard work outside. These cookies really hit the spot!
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup flour
2¾ cup old fashioned oats not quick-cooking oatmeal
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz caramel baking bits
2 cups granny smith apples
Directions
Step 1: In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat until combined.
Step 2: Measure oatmeal into a food processor, and pulse until ground finely. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Peel and finely chop the apple.
Step 4: Using an electric mixer, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined. Stir in the caramel bits and apples. It is fun to save a few of each (the apple and the caramel) for dotting on top of the rolled cookie dough balls.
Step 5: Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Roll the cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls. Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, for 10-12 minutes. The sheet should be placed on the upper middle rack. Cool on the pan for 4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Note: Dough is best the day of. In time the apples add extra moisture to the dough, causing a wider spread on the baked cookies. Alternatively, you can pre-roll the dough into balls and freeze if you aren't using it all the first day. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet until solid, and then transfer to a labeled sealable freezer bag. Use within one month. Simply add an extra couple minutes to the baking time since the dough is frozen.
About the Author:
Katie Goodman resides in New Mexico with her husband and two children (a 4-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl). Learning in the kitchen, eating, trying new recipes, and sharing them with friends and loved ones are some of Katie's favorite things to do. She wholeheartedly believes that part of the goodness in life is enjoying good food with good friends and family, and goodLife {eats} is a place for her to share what she finds good in the kitchen.
Yours look most closely related to the cookies from my dorm dining, unlike about 5 other recipes I looked at that required melting caramels separately, or making some sort of frosting :\
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I may try your recipe (even thought they don't look quite as oatmeal-y as the ones I had from school, which are real yummy which is why I was looking up recipes for it)
I really like your pictures (not just because I like to have at least a finished picture w/recipes) but also because they are just good pictures :)
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i made these cookies last night and was so pleased with the way they turned out. i allowed them to cool completely - and then placed them into a tupperware container. when i woke up this morning, they were super soft, sticky and falling apart.
can anyone tell me what happened?
any advice would be so so so appreciated.
thanks
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If you'd like to prevent this unpleasant side affect of baking cookies with fresh apples, you can substitute dried apples.
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Is there somewhere I can go to get a printable version of this recipe? It sounds DELICIOUS! Thanks, Jen
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We don't have a "printable" version so for now you'll have to just print it from your browser.
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I'm working on these cookies now, my dough still has 20mins in the fridge. I'm a little worried about it though, when I was done mixing it up, it was really dry and kind of crumbly, but I didn't miss anything. I hope the apples add some moisture.
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I'm sorry, I don't have an answer for you on that one. I've made these cookies several times and never had that problem. One possible situation is slightly too much flour. Measuring with a measuring cup can be slightly inaccurate at times. You wouldn't want the flour packed in, just lightly scooped and leveled.
If it were me, I'd bake a few and see how they come out. If they're still dry I'd add a bit of milk - no more than 1/4 cup to the batter to salvage so there wasn't any waste.
Sorry for the problem...hope they come out okay!
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How many cookies does this recipe make?
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Approximately 3 dozen
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I tried this today, first of all DO NOT skip the parchment or you will have to pry the melted caramel from your baking sheet (learn from my stupidity!) Also, don't cut the apples TOO small, or you won't be able to taste them as much.
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I have found the caramel baking bits at Smith's (Kroger), Walmart, and Albertson's. They are right with the chocolate chips. They are by Kraft. Here's a picture of what they look like:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00110HEH0/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=16310101&s=grocery
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these look great but don't know where to get the caramel baking bits........what brand are they?
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Where do you get those little caramel bits ? ? ? I have NEVER seen them. The cookies look DELICIOUS and if I can find the caramel bits I will try them.
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That looks awesome!! I have everything I need... I know what I'll be doing this afternoon!
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