September 27, 2020

Fall baking season is in full swing. While I am sad to see stone fruit season coming to an end, I am fully embracing all of the apples and pumpkins!

Speaking of apples, let’s talk about these APPLE PIE COOKIES!

Yes, you read that right. These cookies are truly the best of both worlds. I’ve been on quite a giant cookie spree in the last few months. After perfecting the classic giant chocolate chip cookie, I used the same dough base to make peach cobbler cookies. They were the ultimate seasonal summer treat. The great thing about that recipe is it is pretty interchangeable with the filling. Enter these apple pie cookies!

The recipe for the cookies is basically the same. Just like the peach cobbler cookies, the crumb topping is folded into the cookie dough. The filling is the only thing that changes. Don’t worry, they are still crazy delicious.

For the filling, I used Gala apples. Gala is not normally my go-to when baking with apples. I typically use Granny Smith, but I had a few of these in the house so, I figured I would give it a shot. Turns out that Gala apples work great! They have a natural sweetness that really comes out when they baked. You could use any apple for the filling, so if you don’t want to use Gala don’t worry.

Filling these cookies can be a little messy, but it will be worth it. Just follow the instructions in the recipe below. It definitely seems more complicated than it really is.

Check out the full recipe below. Happy fall baking season!

Apple Pie Cookies

Print Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten

Apple Pie Filling

2 Gala apples roughly chopped
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tsp water

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
4 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixerwith a paddle attachment to cream the butter, about 30-45 seconds. Add in the sugar and continue to cream the butter mixture for about 1-2 minutes. The mixture should look a pale yellow.
Gradually add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture. The mixture will be a bit crumbly, so don't worry if it looks off. Add in eggs and mix until fully combined. Place dough in the refrigerator while you make the apple filling and crumbs.
Make the apple filling. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped apples, nutmeg, cinnamon, and water on low heat. Cook the apples for about 10 minutes or until they start to go soft. You don't want them to be too mushy because they will cook again in the oven. When a fork can go through them easily, they are done.
Remove the filling from the heat and let cool. Make the crumb topping while the filling is cooling.
Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until crumbs start to form. The crumbs should be about the size of a pea. Feel free to add in more/less cinnamon and adjust to your taste.
Take the dough out of the fridge and fold in about 3/4 of the crumbs. If the crumbs are difficult to fold in, let the dough sit for a minute to warm up. The dough will be a little lumpy, but don't worry if it does not incorporate fully.
Make the cookie dough balls. Each ball should weigh around 6 oz or 3/4 cups. The dough should make around 5-7 large cookies. Once the dough is in a ball, take about a quarter chunk of dough off the top and flatten it to form a round disc. Flatten the dough with your thumb to form a well. Inside the well, place a heaping tablespoon of the filling and a small sprinkle of the crumbs. The filling should completely fill in the well. Cover the well and filling area with the remaining cookie dough. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
Sprinkle additional crumbs on top of the cookie and place them the freezer to chill for 90 minutes.
When the cookies are almost ready in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375°. In order to get a solid cook, place one empty baking sheet upside-down in the oven and place the tray with the cookie dough on top of it. Bake for 24-26 minutes, or until the edges show a golden brown tint.
Let the cookies come to room temperature before enjoying! Store the cookies in an air-tight container.