Apple Pie Cookies

I have a severe, debilitating case of mommy brain.  On any given day I can't find my keys, shoes, rings, knitting project, or mind.  I had to scroll through my pictures to see what I have done that needs posted.  Not a good sign for the day to come. 
On the plus side, I saw my apple pie cookies.  When I took them to work for the girls to test out, they cleared four dozen cookies with no problem (except maybe food guilt).  They are a very homey cookie.  I love the cinnamon and ginger with the freshness of the apple.  I will tell you one thing I found.  Because of the apples, they have to be kept in the fridge and once you bag them up, the moisture in the apples soaks into the cookie and makes it soft instead of chewy, so they are best when they are freshly baked.  That makes these a perfect cookie to portion out on cookie sheets and freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag and pull them out and bake a few as the craving for a baked good hits. 

Apple Pie Cookies

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled and finely diced

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (this is a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)

2-1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

3/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. white chocolate chips

Directions:

Place apples and pumpkin pie spice in a microwaveable bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and throw in the microwave for three minutes.  This will ensure the apples are completely cooked in the finished cookie.

While the apples cook, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate, large bowl, stir together the butter and sugars.  The melted butter means no mixer required (it also means the dough will be soft enough to gently mix in the apples, reducing the risk of them breaking up).

Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

Then stir in flour mixture until it is a smooth dough.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chips and apples.

The dough will be very soft because we melted the butter, so it needs to be refrigerated until it firms up some (about 30 minutes).

Drop the chilled dough by the tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Alternatively, you could portion the dough and freeze it unbaked.  When you want to bake some up, place the frozen balls on the sheet and bake the same way.

 

***For this recipe I used one Granny Smith apple and one Honeycrisp apple. I chose these because one is tart and one is sweet and I thought it would be a nice combination. These two apples also hold their shape well when cooked. I wanted definite pieces of apple, not applesauce so it was important they stay together.***