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Apple Pie Cookies

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Apple Pie Cookies

Mel Graff

Sweet as apple pie - that's how the saying goes, right? 

 

There are so many fall icons that we see all over the internet these days. Shall we list?

  • PSL, obvi
  • Oversized scarves (article coming soon)
  • Pumpkin picking
  • Floppy wool hats
  • Every amazing TV show
  • Brown boots
  • Football
  • Leaf piles
  • Slowcooker chili
  • Apple picking

Ok so you get it, fall has its signature icons. Which is why you are probably thinking about the one, very important fall icon that I have left off of the list, the one that comes AFTER that well-known, loved by all fall activity of apple picking... Apple pie. 

 

So I went apple picking... This was one of my apples.

This is me picking some apples...

 

Fall is SO fun. But it only lasts for a short period of time. As the Windy City lives up to its name, and the temperature drops into official fall season, we get through the chills with all of these wonderful fall icons. They are the reason I justify living in a state with all four seasons. It is fun and exciting to enjoy limited time foods, to look forward to wearing my favorite fall coat, to cozy up with a bowl of your signature veggie chili. To make apple pie. To make so. much. apple. pie. So, why, you may ask, why apple pie?

  1. We all love apple picking. We buy $30 of apples, now what?
  2. It reminds everyone of the fall and holiday season
  3. It is sweet enough, but not too decadent where you can only have a little bite
  4. It is so flavorful 
  5. It has a very distinct taste and smell, so it reminds people of past memories & good times that they may want to think back on
  6. It isn't a standard dessert, so it is a tasty treat when presented

 

During the fall and the holiday season, I love baking for others. I've recently learned that the best way to share/justify/etc. making something like apple pie is to simply make each person their own.... Apple Pie Cookies!!!! The solution. The life changing recipe that is simple enough to make & tasty enough to make again and again. 

 

Ingredients

Dough

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter

7 tablespoons of ice water

(Glaze): 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Apple filling

3 large sized apples (I use Fuji)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of water (start with 1/2 and add if you want more liquid in your filling as it cooks)

1/4 cup of all purpose flower

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons of nutmeg

1 tablespoon of honey

 

Recipe

Dough

  1. There are two ways to make the dough, by hand (H) or in a food processor (F).
    • (H): In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
    • (F): Pour the flour, sugar, and salt into the processor. Lightly pulse until the substance is mixed together.
  2. Cut the cold butter up into little cubes. Once the butter is cut up:
    • (H): Pinch the butter among the powder mixture. You will see that the mixture will begin to get crumby. Continue combining the butter through the mixture until the entire bowl is a crumby substance.
    • (F): Put about 1/3 of the butter cubes in and lightly pulse the food processor so the cubes mix with the powder to create the crumby substance. Once mixed, add in another 1/3 and mix, and then another 1/3 and mix. Lightly pulse until the entire substance is crumby.
  3. Ensure the water is very cold (mix with ice or put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes).
    • (H): Slowly pour the water into the mixture. Mix together with a large spoon. You should see the substance begin to look doughy. Continue to pour the water in until the substance is all dough. You may not need all of the water, feel your dough to determine if it feels kind of like raw cookie dough.
    • (F): Slowly pour the water into the processor. As you pour a little, lightly pulse. Continue to slowly add water and pulse until the substance becomes doughy, in fact, it should form into a little ball in the processor.
  4. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour - 1 day.
  5. While you are refrigerating the dough, make the apple filling.
  6. Peel & core the apples. Cut them up into little squares, typically no larger than 1/3 - 1/4 of an inch squared. (See photo below)
  7. Put the water and apples in a large saucepan, simmer and let apples cook in hot water.
  8. Once the apples start to brown, add the flour & brown sugar to the mixture. Continue to stir. The liquid substance should begin to bubble and thicken. 
  9. Add cinnamon, honey & nutmeg, cook until liquid is browned and apples are cooked through. (You should be able to tell because your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing). Once cooked through, remove from heat and put apple filling into a small bowl.
  10. Heat oven to 375 F.
  11. Once the dough has been chilled, take out and cut the dough ball in half. Take one half and roll out on a cutting board until it is about 1 CM thick (pretty thin). Use a circular cookie cutter OR a cup and cut out circles from the dough. As you use up the dough with the circles, you will see there is extra dough around each circle. Re-ball this piece and roll it out again, continue to create circles with the dough until you cannot create anymore circles with the dough available.
  12. Take the apple filling and use a standard kitchen spoon to add about a spoonful to the center of each dough circle.
  13. Take half of the second half (1/4 of the total) and roll it out on the cutting board so it is about 1 CM thick. Cut rolled out dough into a square and remove the excess edges (add them to the extra dough on the side). Cut the dough into lines with each about 1/2 inch thick. Depending on the size of your circles (mine were about 3 inches by 3 inches), cut your strips into about 2 1/2 inch strips (I use my index finger as a measuring reference).
  14. Add strips to the dough circles/apple filling. Take two strips and put them parallel to eachother, leaving about a CM between the two in the center. Add two more strips to connect the other two sides that don't have strips on them. This should create a nice criss-cross dough pattern (refer to picture below). Once all 4 strips are on the circle, roll up the edges of the circles to cover the bottom of the strips. This should create a little bit more of a "bowl" look to the cookie.
  15. Repeat until all circles are filled. Sometimes, more dough or apple filling will be used for taste/preference, so if you have additional filling and dough, create more little circles and strips as you can until you run out of your dough and apple filling.
  16. Mix 1 egg with 1 teaspoons of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Lightly glaze each cookie with mixture. Add sugar/cinnamon on top for preference.
  17. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until browned. Set aside to cool. Enjoy!!
Flour, sugar, salt mixed with butter so it becomes crumb-like.

Flour, sugar, salt mixed with butter so it becomes crumb-like.

Cut dough into circles using a cookie cutter or the top side of a cup.

Cut dough into circles using a cookie cutter or the top side of a cup.

Peel & core apples, then cut them into little squares.

Peel & core apples, then cut them into little squares.

​

categories Kitchen, Recipes
tags cookies, apple pie, fall, fall cooking, recipe, kitchen