Ingredients (~18 cookies)
For the Caramelized Apples
- 188g (about 2 small) Gala or Honeycrisp apples, peeled and finely diced
- 38g (3 Tbsp packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the Cookie Dough
- 138g (10 Tbsp or 1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 75g (1/3 cup packed) dark brown sugar
- 75g (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 188g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 4g (1 1/2 tsp) cornstarch
For the Coating
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Caramelize the Apples
In a medium bowl, toss the finely diced apples with the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a skillet over medium-low heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for ~10-15 minutes. The apples will release their liquid at first, and then the liquid will thicken and cook down into a syrup. The apples are done when they are soft and nicely caramelized. Scrape the apples and any syrup into a bowl and place them in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Brown the Butter
While the apples cool, brown the butter. Place the butter in a light-colored pot or saucepan over medium heat. It will melt, then begin to foam and sizzle. Stir it occasionally.
After a few minutes, the sizzling will quiet down and the butter will start to foam up again. Watch it closely at this point. You will see little brown specks – the milk solids – begin to form at the bottom of the pan, and it will smell nutty.
Immediately remove the pot from the heat and pour the browned butter, including all the brown specks, into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge for ~10-15 minutes to cool down slightly.
Mix the Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch.
In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla and the egg, and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Gently fold in the cooled caramelized apples.
Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold everything together until a dough forms and no streaks of flour remain.
Chill the Dough for at least 2-3 hours
Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. The dough needs to be firm before you can scoop and bake it.
Coat and Bake the Cookies at 350F
Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small, shallow bowl, mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating.
Use a cookie scoop (~1.5 Tbsp) to portion the chilled dough, then roll each portion into a ball. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until they are generously coated. Place them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for ~12-14 minutes. The edges will be set and the tops will be puffy. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set up before transferring them to a wire rack.
Apple Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Apples
- 188g Gala or Honeycrisp apples about 2 small, peeled and finely diced
- 38g dark brown sugar 3 Tbsp packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the Cookie Dough
- 138g unsalted butter 10 Tbsp or 1 1/4 sticks
- 75g dark brown sugar 1/3 cup packed
- 75g granulated sugar 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 188g all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 4g cornstarch 1 1/2 tsp
For the Coating
- 50g granulated sugar 1/4 cup
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Toss diced apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in skillet over medium-low heat.
- Cook apples 10-15 minutes until soft and caramelized, then refrigerate until cool.
- Brown butter over medium heat until golden and nutty, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch in medium bowl.
- Mix cooled brown butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Fold in cooled apples.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until dough forms.
- Chill dough 2-3 hours until firm.
- Heat oven to 350F. Mix cinnamon and sugar for coating.
- Scoop 1.5 Tbsp portions, roll into balls, coat in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place 2-3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake 12-14 minutes until edges set and tops puffy.
- Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to wire rack.
