Caramel Apple Cookies

It's apple picking time in the Ozarks. Rom's Orchard down at Fayetteville is a great place to go and spend an Autumn afternoon picking some delicious crisp apples to have for snacking. My favorites are the Gala apples and they can be used for cooking too.

Have you tried these new Candy Corn from Brach's? I was picking up my traditional bags of classic and harvest mix (the bags that include the candy corn pumpkins) and I noticed the new Caramel Candy Corn flavor. They come in the usual corn kernel shape, have a toffee-colored base (yellow in the original), and are delicious. They are very, very sweet, just like the regular candy corn. This means you can’t eat too many at one sitting, which, now that I think about it, is probably a good thing.

I found this recipe using Kraft Caramel Bits. You can find them in the baking section near the chocolate chips. They may satisfy my sweet tooth for caramel apples since they also have dried apple bits in the recipe!

Caramel Apple Cookies

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg1-1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried apple pieces, chopped in the food processor

1/2 cup Kraft caramel bits (save remaining bits for drizzling or dipping cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl mix flour, soda and salt. Add apple pieces and caramel bits and combine well. In separate bowl, mix sugars and butter. Add egg, mixing just until blended. Add flour/apple/caramel mixture and combine well. Drop by teaspoonful about 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Let cool completely on wire racks in order for the caramel to set. If desired, melt some of the remaining caramel bits and dunk edges of cookies. Yields 3 dozen cookies. (Candy corn garnish optional!)
PRINTABLE RECIPE