Caramel Apple Cookies

I don't know why but I keep forgetting that my cousin/bestie/fellow September Girl Chiara loves fall. The flavors, the fashion, the scenery outside - it's her favorite time of year. But it's one fact about her that I can't seem to remember. Fortunately, I do remember that she loves caramel apples. I even have the pictures to prove it:

Taken at the Washington State Fair in 2014

So when I decided I was going to bake her a present this year I immediately started keeping an eye out for caramel apple desserts on my Pinterest feed that were giftable. I decided on Caramel Apple Cookies from the blog House of Yumm.

Caramel Apple Cookies (source)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (I couldn't find this anywhere so I just used pumpkin pie spice. Worked very well)
• 1 apple peeled and chopped (equals about 1 cup)
• 20 caramels

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In small mixing bowl combine the flour and baking powder, set aside.
3. In mixing bowl add room temperature butter and sugars. Beat with medium speed to cream them together. Add in the eggs and continue to beat with medium speed until completely combined.
4. Mix in the pudding and the apple pie spice.
5. Add in the flour mixture slowly, half at a time mixing with low speed each time until combined.
6. Fold in the chopped apples with a wooden spoon, (or spoon of choice!)
7. Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray, or parchment paper. Place about a tablespoon of dough on the sheet, place an unwrapped caramel in the center, and then place another tablespoon size scoop of dough on top. Slightly press down to ensure the caramel is covered by dough, otherwise it will leak out during baking.
8. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Allow to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.
9. Be careful not to bite into them when they're hot! The caramel will burn!!!

For some reason I was only able to make about 14 cookies. Even though I used an actual tablespoon (as opposed to a scoop that might be tablespoon sized), I might have scooped too much.

Chiara was SO excited when I told her what flavor they were. Her mom told me later in the week that they were delicious.