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Caramel Apple Cider Cookies


I was pretty stinking excited to make these cookies. 

I love apple cider. 

It was going to be a match made in heaven.

It reminds me of college. I used to drink one of those sugar-free apple cider packets in the evening time while doing homework in our apartment; waiting for Ryan to get home from cross country or track practice.

Fast forward to now, when I anxiously longed for that apple cider flavor. Well, these cookies have A TON of the flavor. Almost too much, but for some reason, it worked. I finally took the time to read on the recipe that I would need to "add in 10 packets of apple cider mix" to the dough. What the devil, people?! Why not just use real apple cider? It's the Fall, isn't it? Time for apples to fly out of everyone's ears in all their varieties! 

I made the cookies anyway. I had already bought the apple cider mixes, but really only thought I'd be using one of them for the cookie dough. One by one I opened each packet, and dumped the into the heavenly cinnamon-flavored mix adorning my mixing bowl. 

With one eye closed, and an obscene amount of skepticism, I tasted the dough... 

It was incredible. 

Incredibly tart. 

Incredibly apple-cider-loaded. 

Incredibly carameley. 

Incredibly soft and silky.

Incredibly AWESOME. 

I thought the flavor might be too strong from all the cider-goodness, but after baking, the flavor actually mellowed a bit and folded perfectly back into itself. Instead of using caramel squares in the center of the cookies, I wanted to use some leftover caramel balls I had in the pantry. It made for little pockets of melted caramel everywhere in the gooey warm & soft cider-soaked cookies. 

 Fall was flying from our oven.

And we happily filled our bellies with it - over and over again. 

...apple cider mix and all. 

xo, 
blondie



Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

ingredients:
1 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
1/2 t salt
1 7.4 oz box of Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix (not sugarfree) = 10 packets.
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
3 C all-purpose flour
1 C caramel balls

method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add butter, sugar, salt & all 10 packets of apple cider mix. Beat until smooth and fully incorporated. Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon then mix on low. Add the flour a 1/2 C at a time until just mixed in. Toss in caramel balls. Mix until combined. Don't overmix.
3. Scoop dough into 1 inch balls, place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. They will be light in color - if you cook too long, they'll be hard. Trust me. Slightly undercooked is perfect.
4. Remove from the oven, let sit for a minute, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container with a slice of white bread. Serve warm, if possible. (we nuke ours for 12 seconds for one cookie).

Recipe adapted from macaroni and cheesecake

Comments

  1. We drink a lot of apple cider on fall evenings! These cookies would be a perfect snack to go a long with a big mug of cider!

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  2. Replies
    1. Awesome!! You will LOVE them - if you like a ton of apple cider flavor. When I make these again, I might leave out a couple cider packets. Either way, they'll still be awesome. Good luck and enjoy, Vienna!

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  3. These sound and look amazing! What a fun recipe. I would never think to put apple cider mix in cookies. So glad you did! Can't wait to try them. Have a great weekend!

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  4. Looks delicious! I have never heard of caramel balls, where can you get them?

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  5. Where do you buy caramel balls? I checked 3 kitchen stores in St. George and they had never heard of them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm... I honestly found them at Walmart next to the chocolate chips, and I've seen them at Smiths, too! Good luck!

      Delete
  6. Mandy, I just tried this recipe and the cookies are D E L I C I O U S ! I cut down the amount of packets (like you recommended) from 10 to 6.5, and I could definitely taste the apple cider flavor. I might have been able to skip a packet or two and still have it. I used butterscotch chips because I couldn't find caramel .. I hope it didn't change the flavor too much :/

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  7. I just made these and they're amazing! I used about 1/2 the sugar and twice the salt for a more salted-caramel taste and they turned out fantastic. I need to get more apple cider mix so I can make another batch!

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  8. Hi there! These look so fluffy and AWESOME. Are these the caramel bits (made by kraft) that you used in the recipe? Pinning! Thanks for sharing :)

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  9. Just put mine in the oven! Thanks for the recipe!

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  10. Mine spread horribly, used new baking powder and soda. Any thoughts?

    ReplyDelete

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