Featured Recipe
Apple Caramel Cookies Twist
By Kate
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Soft cookies with a tart apple filling and salted caramel topping. Uses a mix of spelt and all-purpose flour for texture. Replaces Ambrosia apples with Granny Smith for brightness. Adds nutmeg to the filling for warmth. Caramel swapped with dulce de leche infused with sea salt flakes. The apple filling thickened with arrowroot instead of cornstarch. Cook until apples soften but retain bite. Cookies baked till edges just turn golden, centers remain tender. Let caramel cool slightly before spreading to avoid melting. Perfect balance of sweet, tart, and salty.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
45 min
Total:
Serves:
18 servings
dessert
cookies
fall baking
apple recipes
Introduction
Apples and caramel. Simple combo but tricky balance. Want filling soft but not runny. Dough tender yet sturdy. Shallow wells hold filling without collapse. Crisp edges, tender centers. Smell cinnamon and nutmeg blooming as filling cooks. Listen for that crackle in oven, edges turning golden, never brown. Use spelt flour; adds chew, nuttiness, different from plain AP flour. Arrowroot thickener instead cornstarch—clean taste, better texture. Granny Smiths keep shape, cut the sweetness from caramel. Salt flakes bring that extra pop. Don’t rush cooling; caramel melts if warm. Patience pays off. Keep hands cool when shaping dough; sticky melts fast. Technique over speed. Baking is timing, touch, senses — not timer obsessed. Great cookies start with respect for each element, know why steps count.
Ingredients
Apple filling
- 40 g (3 tbsp) sugar
- 7 ml (1½ tsp) arrowroot powder
- 3 ml (¾ tsp) ground cinnamon
- ⅓ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small
- 20 ml (1½ tbsp) lemon juice
- 150 g (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 150 g (1 cup) spelt flour
- 3 ml (½ tsp) baking soda
- 1.25 ml (¼ tsp) fine sea salt
- 110 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 140 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 40 g (3 tbsp) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 90 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) dulce de leche with sea salt flakes
- Coarse sea salt flakes for garnish (optional)
Dough
About the ingredients
Reducing sugar by 30%, switching half flour to spelt adds chew and flavor—spelt’s proteins weaker so don’t overmix or dough toughens. Arrowroot powder replaces cornstarch for cleaner, glossy filling that thickens at lower temps and holds texture better after chilling. Nutmeg adds warmth, counters sweetness in caramel. Replacing Ambrosia with tart Granny Smith apples keeps filling from turning mushy under heat and balances sweetness of caramel. Dulce de leche with sea salt flakes used over salted caramel — easier spread, deeper caramelized flavor with less liquid, avoids soggy biscuits. Butter softened, not melted; key to creaming air into dough for tender crumb. Eggs add moisture, binding but not too much or dough loose. Always sift dry ingredients to prevent lumps, ensures even rising. Lemon juice prevents apple slices browning, brightens filling. Sea salt flakes optional but they lift final taste through contrast. Always measure sugars carefully; too much makes crumb dense and spreading difficult.
Method
Apple filling
- 1. Mix sugar, arrowroot, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan off heat. Stir in diced apples and lemon juice, coat well. Place over medium heat, stirring often. Apples will release juice, filling should thicken as arrowroot activates. Cook until apples soften but still have bite, about 4 minutes. Watch carefully — arrowroot thickens quickly and loses power if overcooked. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 25 minutes; filling should be cool but not cold when assembling.
- 2. Position oven rack center. Heat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- 3. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk to blend evenly.
- 4. In a large mixing bowl, use electric mixer to cream butter with sugars till fluffy but not melted, about 2 minutes. Scrape sides. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Avoid overbeating; gives tough dough.
- 5. Reduce mixer speed or switch to wooden spoon. Add dry ingredients gradually. Mix just till no dry streaks remain. Dough will be dense and slightly sticky.
- 6. Using a 30 ml (2 tbsp) scoop, portion dough into 9 mounds per sheet; space about 5 cm apart. Press each gently to flatten slightly. With back of a spoon, create shallow well in center, careful not to break through. Fill each cavity with about 10 ml (2 tsp) chilled apple filling. Not too much or it will spill during baking.
- 7. Bake one sheet at a time. Listen for soft crackles and watch edges for a light golden hue — 15 to 18 minutes. Overbake and cookies harden after cooling. Cool cookies on sheets for 45 to 60 minutes to set. Transfer carefully to racks if needed.
- 8. Warm dulce de leche slightly if too stiff, but do not melt. Spoon caramel over apple filling, filling the well and slightly spilling over edges is fine. Sprinkle coarse sea salt flakes atop for contrast. Let caramel set before serving. Cookies will be soft and tender with pockets of sticky caramel and tart fruit.
- Tips:
- - Substitute spelt with whole wheat for nuttier flavor but expect denser texture.
- - Use arrowroot instead of cornstarch; less cloudy and better thickening at lower temperatures.
- - Choose a firm tart apple variety to prevent mushy filling during quick cook.
- - If caramel is commercial, pick a slightly runnier style for ease of spreading.
- - Avoid overmixing dough; keep gluten development low for tender crumb.
- - Cool cookies fully before adding caramel so it doesn't melt through.
- - Too wet filling? Drain some juice before cooking or add extra thickener.
- - To save time, make filling a day ahead; flavors meld nicely with resting.
Dough preparation
Shaping and baking
Finishing touch
Technique Tips
Start apple filling cold. Mixing sugar, spices with diced apple off heat helps evenly coat despite granule size. Bring to gentle boil, stirring often; arrowroot thickens quickly, cook just until runny to syrup, apples softened but keeping shape. Overcooked filling mushy, looks dull. Cool filling fully or partial chill before assembly to prevent dough sogginess. Dough creamed correctly traps air, gives rise and tenderness. Add eggs slowly to keep batter cohesive. Incorporate dry ingredients carefully; overmix toughens dough since gluten develops fast. Portion dough with 2-tablespoon scoop for uniform size, gives consistent bake. Indenting centers allows filling space, prevents overflow. Bake one tray at a time to ensure even cooking and monitor doneness closely. Edges firm up but center stays rich and soft. Cool on sheet for 45–60 minutes; helps cookies firm for handling and caramel application. Apply caramel when cookies room temp to avoid melting through filling. Sprinkle finishing salt while caramel still tacky. Store cooled cookies in airtight containers; caramel remains manageable. Reheat gently if caramel too firm – microwave seconds on low. Watch out for overbaking — cookies dry when left too long.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Chill apple filling before use. Mix sugar, spices off heat; coats apples well. Cooking shouldn’t go too long or mushy texture happens. Quick is key.
- 💡 Dough mixing matters; creaming butter and sugars builds air. Don't overbeat eggs. Gradual flour adds stability. Sticky is normal, but avoiding tough dough critical.
- 💡 Use a scoop; helps maintain uniform size while baking. About 2 tablespoons per cookie. Don’t skip indenting for filling; keeps it snug. Prevent overflow!
- 💡 Watch for tender edges; softer centers. Listen for crackles when baking. Timing is essential. Give cookies cooling time, avoid immediate caramel.
- 💡 Dulce de leche can be stiff; warm slightly to spread. Placement matters; too much caramel may spill. Salt flakes sprinkled while tacky; contrast enhances.
- 💡 Spelt flour? Dense but lovely texture. Can swap with whole wheat. Adjust moisture if necessary; ratios shift slightly, but outcomes vary in taste.
