One of our favorite fall treats here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen are caramel apples. The crunch of the perfectly tart apple and the sticky goodness of the caramel is simply irresistible! When it’s no longer festival season, how could you possibly enjoy these classical treats? You reinvent them into another fan favorite: cookies! These are perfect for the holidays, a surprise desert away from the classics! Not to mention they’ll go delightfully with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
I recommend whipping these up with the kiddos! I recently baked these cookies with my grandchildren, and we had so much fun. Something about making a cookie that looks like an actual apple is exciting to the kids. They especially loved putting in the wooden sticks that mimicked the ones on an actual caramel apple. There are many steps that the kids can independently do, which they love.
The kitchen really brings families together, and in mine, baking is one of our favorite things to do together. These caramel apple cookies were certainly not an exception. However, eat with caution because these delectable cookies are addictive! The buttery sweet flavors of these delicious cookies will keep you wanting more. Bake them once, and I can guarantee your family will want them to make more appearances on your kitchen counter.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine — softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Red paste food color, if desired
- About 24 wooden sticks with rounded ends
CARAMEL GLAZE– (recipe follows)
- 1 (14 ounce) package vanilla caramels
- 1/4 cup water
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 400º.
- Beat sugar, butter and shortening in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.
- Stir in vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
- Stir in food color to tint dough red.
- Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered surface.
- Cut with 3-inch round or apple-shaped cookie cutter.
- Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Insert wooden stick into side of each cookie.
- Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are light brown.
- Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
CARAMEL GLAZE:
- Heat caramels and water in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.
- If glaze becomes too stiff, heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until softened.
- Spread top third of each cookie (opposite wooden stick) with Caramel Glaze. Hold cookie upright to allow glaze to drizzle down cookie.
