Caramel Apple Cookies

I absolutely love caramel apples. I try to avoid the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory any time I go to the mall because of all of their amazing, delicious chocolate caramel apples- if you haven't tried one, you need to!

I have also had a pretty spectacular caramel apple cheesecake, which I have been trying to figure out how to replicate now for a few years, no luck yet.

Pretty much anything involving caramel and apples is good in my books which is why when I saw a Caramel Apple Cider Cookie recipe on Pinterest, I had to try it right away! I was led to a blog called The Sisters Cafe, which had shared this genius idea of turning caramel apples into cookies.

I do have to apologize, the cookies went pretty quickly, and I didn't snap a picture of them. I guess that means I will have to make them again sometime, and come back and add my own photo.

Here is the recipe- courtesy of The Sisters Cafe Blog!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 packets of Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix *Not sugar free* (half of the 7.4 oz box) (I used a scoop of Instant Apple Cider Mix from Bulk Barn)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels (not generic caramels – they don’t melt properly)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.2. Cream together butter, sugar, salt, and 5 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour and mix until just combined.3. Use a standard (size 50) cookie scoop. Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place a caramel in the center. Work the dough around the caramel sealing well. Place the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.

4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. If using parchment: after baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter. Let cool until they are no longer soft but still slightly warm. Twist gently to remove, and cool the rest of the way upside down on the parchment or on a cooling rack.  If using silpat, just let them cool on the cookie sheet and twist them when they are sufficiently cool.

*These cookies are best straight out of the oven… or  microwaved on high for 9-10 seconds to remelt the caramel if any of these babies last long enough to completely cool off and harden.