Apple Cider Snickerdoodles with Caramel Filling

By KDHarmon

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped red and green crispy apple chips, plus whole chips for garnish
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 18 caramels

Details

Servings 18
Adapted from realhousemoms.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the cider in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the light brown sugar in a separate bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the reduced cider and the egg (the mixture may look slightly curdled). Stir in the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the chopped apple chips until combined.

Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of chopped apple chips and the apple pie spice in a small bowl. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, using lightly moistened hands if the dough is too sticky, and then roll in the spiced sugar mixture. Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand and press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely.

Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart and bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges (see notes)

Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter and allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down on the parchment (see notes)

Notes

12 minutes worked perfectly for my cookies. Check them at 12. You don't want to over bake these cookies!

If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Makes 18 cookies.

Notes:
12 minutes worked perfectly for my cookies. Check them at 12. You don't want to over bake these cookies!

If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.