Apple Cider Caramel Cookies
Autumn in Seattle was long and beautiful, and apparently I did not spend it in the kitchen. Very belatedly (but still delicious all winter long), I present these gooey apple cider cookies filled with caramels. Kevin had friends visiting for a long weekend, and I whipped these up after a long rainy outing to Snoqualmie falls and the Ballard Locks. Though the Ballard locks are more active than any other lock system in the US, there wasn’t much action the day we were there. We did get to see one boat go through! I was more entertained by the fact that the captain of the boat looked exactly like Gorton’s fisherman.
On a lovely hike to Snow Lake, my friend Dr. W found the best hammock spot that ever there was. This was also the hike that made me realize I need to add hiking boots to my Christmas list to be a true resident of the PNW. This perfectly picturesque scene was soon to be disturbed by an obnoxious man with a small drone that may as well have been a full size helicopter for all the noise it made. Hikers lounging and lunching banded together to restore the peace, giving me one vote against the Seattle Freeze. I had several lovely conversations with passers-by as we took an hour to enjoy the scene before our trek back over the mountain.
Back to the cookies. These cookies are best fresh out of the oven when they’re still a bit gooey. The caramel will harden as they cool, so I recommend setting one over a hot cup of tea or blasting in the microwave for about 8 seconds to soften it up just a bit. Also, don’t try to make these healthier by getting the sugar-free cider mix. This is a large recipe, and I had to send goody bags home with each of the boys to save myself from eating 3 dozen of these. It felt very possible at the time…
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix (10 packets)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter, sugar, salt, and 10 packages of apple cider drink mix until light and fluffy.
- Beat eggs into the wet mixture, one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Gradually add flour mixture to the wet and mix until just combined.
- Refrigerate dough for about an hour. While dough is cooling, unwrap caramels (the whole bag).
- Scoop out about 1 tbsp balls of cookie dough. Flatten the ball slightly in the palm of your hand and press the caramel into the center of the dough. Seal the dough around the caramel, covering completely. Place on the lined cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Once cookies are done, slide the parchment paper onto the counter and allow cookies to cool a bit longer on the parchment paper. When cookies are a bit firm but still warm, twist off the parchment paper and flip upside down to finish cooling.
- If your cookies cool and stick to the parchment paper, put them in the freezer for a few minutes and they should release more easily.
- Store in an airtight container.