Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffeecake

It’s Secret Recipe Club time and this month I was assigned Stephanie’s blog, Sustainable Cooking for One.  Stephanie is a single gal who is pursuing a PhD in community nutrition and is passionate about eating local, gluten-free, low/no meat, in-season sustainable foods.  Also as the title of her blog suggests she focuses on cooking for one and even has a cookbook called One Bowl: Simple Healthy Recipes for One.

A number of Stephanie’s recipes appealed to me, her Red Lentil & Squash Soup as it’s been cold here, I had all the ingredients in my home and soup is always a wonderful meal, I thought that we’d all enjoy her Carrot Edamame Salad, and because I’ve been on a bit of a cauliflower kick lately, both her Creamy Cauliflower Carrot Custard and Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon & Mustard sounded like good options.  In the end though I decided that I wanted to make a cake for a friend and her family as her husband is going through chemotherapy and radiation and I thought that they would enjoy a sweet, homemade treat, so I chose Stephanie’s Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake.  Really, just like Stephanie, what appealed to me first about the cake was the name but when I read the recipe and saw the large amount of fresh apples and the flavor profile, it sounded like a delicious and perfect cake for my friend.

When Stephanie made her cake she adapted the recipe making it gluten-free but as my friends don’t have gluten issues, I made the cake with plain all-purpose flour.  Also, I didn’t have cider in my home but in my freezer I had frozen apple juice concentrate so I used that instead and because I felt that the concentrate was sweeter than the cider, I cut the sugar in the recipe a bit.  I also decided to add a little vanilla bean paste and salt to the batter just for some additional depth of flavor.  

Stephanie made two loaves from the recipe but I was really making this cake for my friend and trust me when I say, we don’t need lots of sweet treats in our home, but I did want to try the cake and of course get a picture, so I made one large loaf and a mini loaf for us to try and enjoy.  After eating our mini loaf I was sort of sad that I didn’t double the recipe as the cake was absolutely delicious and we would have loved more.  The strong cinnamon apple flavor and the slightly sweet cake with a nice crispy edge…well it was just perfect.  The cake was easy to make and we really loved it so I know that I’ll make it again and I know that my friend will love and appreciate the cake too.  Check out Stephanie’s blog for her gluten-free version.

Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake (adapted from here)

• 5 - 6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly (about 4 cups), I used a mix of Fuji & honey crisp 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 2 TBS.
• 2 TBS. cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil 
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
• 1 TBS. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 TBS. baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt 

Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease a bundt pan or two loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the apples with the cinnamon & 2 TBS. sugar and toss to coat, set aside. 

In a large bowl combine the vegetable oil, eggs, apple juice concentrate & vanilla.  Using a wooden spoon mix well.  Add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar, flour, baking powder & salt and combine well.  Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the pan(s). Drain away any accumulated liquid from the apples and layer half the apples into the pan,  not allowing them to touch the sides. Spoon another 1/3 of the batter over the apples. Add the remaining apples, again not allowing them to touch the pan. Top with the remaining batter.

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cover with foil if the top begins to overbrown.

Cool to warm or room temperature before slicing.

Enjoy!!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Crockpot Baked Stuffed Apples

I know, here it is the last day of November and I’m still trying to get my Thanksgiving recipes posted and shoot, this isn’t even my last one.  Busyness, continued sickness and tiredness…well I’m just behind and maybe one day I’ll catch up…maybe by next Thanksgiving??  I mentioned both over on my Moments with Maisie and on this blog that this year with all the food restrictions and sickness, I went really simple with our dinner and especially with dessert.  I mean think about it, what do you make with the following restrictions?  Maisie can’t have wheat, egg or dairy, my Mom can’t have dairy, my Dad limits sugar, Eammon really doesn’t care for desserts which are too chocolaty and I’ve been avoiding flour & sugar and also, though I enjoy crisps, crumbles & some tarts, I generally don’t care for pies, the making or the eating.  

Dessert really was a dilemma until I saw a recipe for Crock-Pot Baked Apples on the blog, Skinny Chef.  The recipe was perfect as it it was the right seasonal flavors and it pretty much met everyone’s dietary restrictions.  Even better, it was simple to prepare and once it was put in the slow cooker no one had to think about it until dessert was served.  Even though the original recipe met most of our dietary restrictions I still tweaked it a bit by changing out the trans-fat free margarine called for in the original recipe, instead using coconut oil and I also decided to add dried cranberries, crystallized ginger and some additional spices to make the dish more my own. 

I loved the simplicity of the dish and the flavor of the filling and the apples.  The only thing I would do differently next time is to use less fat and that’s only because I didn’t care for the mouth feel but on that, I was the only one who complained.  We enjoyed these apples both hot and cold as leftovers.  These apples provided all of the flavors of the holiday without all the heaviness, calories, fat and work of pies and by having these apples I think we all felt a bit less stuffed and possibly…even a bit healthier!

Crockpot Baked Stuffed Apples (adapted from here)

• 6 Honey Crisp, Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
• 1/4 cup Whey Low Gold or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries  
• 2 TBS coconut oil (I would cut this to 1 TBS.) 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. finely minced crystallized ginger 
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves   
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 TBS orange liquor (optional)

Using an apple corer and a serrated grapefruit spoon, core the apples, scooping out all the seeds and opening the cored hole a little wider at the top of the apple than the corer.  It’s okay if you go all the way through as the apples don’t move when they cook and if you carefully scoop them from underneath when serving, the filling stays in them without a problem. 

In a large bowl, mix the Whey Low Gold, walnuts, pecans, cranberries, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger & ground clove.  Fill each apple with approximately 2 TBS. of the filling, packing it in, and place the filled apples in the crockpot. Pour in the apple cider and orange liquor.  Cover and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

Enjoy!

Mom’s Curried Chicken Salad

My Mom has been making a curried chicken salad for years and as she’s been raving about how wonderful it is, I decided to give it a try…but of course I made a few little changes, but what else is new.  This Curried Chicken Salad is a little different from my Curried Grilled Thai Chicken Salad but just as delicious.  My Mom often makes this recipe with leftover turkey so perfect for your Thanksgiving leftovers.  This is just one of those recipes which can be tailored to what you have in hand or to your tastes.   

As I’ve been avoiding carbs lately, I’ve been enjoying this Curried Chicken Salad as pictured, atop a thick slice of fresh tomato and wrapped in a leaf of Romaine lettuce, so basically an awesome lettuce wrap…Delish!!

Mom’s Curried Chicken Salad

• 1/4 cup sour cream (I prefer Breakstone sour cream)
• 1/4 cup real mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s mayonnaise)
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 tsp. Jamaican curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper powder
• 3/4 tsp. spicy brown mustard (I prefer Gulden’s mustard)
• 1 TBS. fresh lemon juice
• 3 TBS. finely chopped mango chutney (I prefer Raffetto Chut-Nut Colonial Chutney)
• 1 lb. cold cooked chicken, diced (I prefer my leftover “Rotisserie” Chicken)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, whites and greens
• 1 large peeled apple, diced (I prefer Granny Smith apples)
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery
• 1/4 cup golden raisins 

In a large bowl mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, curry powder and cayenne.  Add the mustard, lemon juice and chutney and combine well.  Add the diced chicken, green onions, apple, almonds, celery & raisins and toss to mix.  Cover and refrigerate.  This is best made a day in advance so that all the flavors can come together.  Serve cold on a salad or in a sandwich.

Enjoy!

Curried Grilled Thai Chicken Salad

I know that it seems like I’ll never stop posting about the meal I made when friends Lisa, Doug & Briana came to visit, eat and play almost two weeks ago.  I’m telling you the food was delicious, Grilled Thai Chicken and it’s perfect complement, Thai Cucumber Salad with cukes fresh picked from the garden.  Then to satisfy my rib cravings, Chili Maple Mustard Ribs and my still un-posted chocolate dessert recipe which will post on Monday, July 9 as my Secret Recipe Club entry, well the meal all around was just delicious.  I did have quite the leftovers though and I easily froze the ribs but with the Grilled Thai Chicken I decided to make it into a curried chicken salad using flavors to compliment the marinade already grilled onto the chicken while using ingredients I had already in my pantry.  I made the recipe up as I went along but I’m so pleased that I had the sense to write it down as I went along as this chicken was absolutely wonderful and a huge hit with both Eammon and I.  I know that I’ll be making this salad again even using plain grilled chicken breasts if I don’t have leftover Grilled Thai Chicken breasts because this salad was the bomb!

I would have had this recipe posted sooner but between Maisie’s always busy schedule and the fact that I have been suffering with a major sinus infection and a wicked ~going on five days already~ migraine, well just staying up and out of bed with my eyes open is a huge accomplishment for the day when I can do it…but trust me, this recipe was worth the wait and I hope that you’ll give it a try.

Curried Grilled Thai Chicken Salad 

• 3-4 leftover Grilled Thai Chicken breasts, small dice (or leftover grilled skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
• 1/2 c. Hellmann’s real mayonnaise 
• 1/2 c. sour cream (I prefer Breakstone Sour Cream)
• 2 TBS. Major Grey chutney 
• 1 TBS. Jamaican curry powder 
• 1 Granny Smith apple, small dice
• 1/4 c. golden raisins 
• 2 TBS. finely minced cilantro
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 TBS. unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

In a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chutney & curry powder.  Add the diced chicken, diced apple, raisins & cilantro.  Using a large spoon, mix everything together until well blended.  Top the chicken salad with the toasted almonds and Coconut.  For myself, I served the chicken salad on full leaves of romaine lettuce so that the whole thing could be rolled into a little wrap.  For Eammon I took the entire serving above, lettuce and all and put it onto some toasted multi-grain bread and he enjoyed it as a sandwich.  So many options and all delicious.

Enjoy!

Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

I was very excited this month when I received my Secret Recipe Club assignment as I was assigned Amy’s A Little Nosh, a blog which I have followed for a long time and one where, when I have my act together, I participate in her weekly Tastetastic Thursday blog hop.  Since I’ve been a long time reader of Amy’s blog it didn’t take me ages and ages to find a recipe that I wanted to make as I already had a few of hers saved in my “need to make” file.  For some reason most of the recipes included using chicken like her Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs, Sweet and Sour Chicken and the one I chose to make, Amy’s Chicken Salad.  Part of the reason I chose Amy’s Chicken Salad was, I was asked by Maisie’s gym to make lunch for the judges at a gymnastics meet the gym was hosting and they happened to request chicken salad on croissants so what better time to try out a new recipe.

One thing that I really liked about Amy’s recipe was that she made it sound adaptable to whatever added ingredients you’d choose to include.  I have to say that this chicken salad was the hands down best chicken salad I’ve ever eaten and it only got better the second day once all the flavors really came together.   I really loved the sweet little bites of apple and cranberry and the little added cinnamon crunch of the cashews was always a nice surprise.  The combination of yogurts, sour cream & mayonnaise gave a creamy richness and because I used some honey yogurt, just a touch of sweetness.  This is now my go-to chicken salad recipe and I know that this summer it will be served time and time again in wraps, sandwiches and atop salads.

Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad (Adapted from here) 

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless white meat “Rotisserie” Chicken, cut or pulled into small bite-size chunks
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries 
• 1 large Fuji apple, peeled, seeded & cut into 1/8-inch dice
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cinnamon cashews
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds 
• 6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
• 6 oz. honey Greek yogurt
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 8 oz. Hellmann’s real mayonnaise 

In a large bowl mix the yogurts, sour cream and mayonnaise together.  Add the chicken, dried cranberries, apple, cinnamon cashews and poppy seeds and mix together.  Enjoy immediately or for even better flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts:

Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Apple Pancakes

Do you ever see a recipe on a blog and have to instantaneously check your pantry to see if you have the ingredients on hand to make it…immediately?  Well that’s what happened last Sunday night when I saw Chaya’s recipe for Apple Fritters on her My Sweet and Savory blog.  Something about her recipe called to me and all I could think was that I had to make it…well my version of it.  I took great liberties with her recipe as I had to adapt the recipe based on what I had on hand in the pantry and also to make it Maisie “safe” as the original recipe called for an egg which Maisie can’t eat and then I didn’t want it too sweet so I omitted all the sugar…and the salt…and the nutmeg, but what a perfect quick Sunday night dinner.  I’ll bet that Chaya’s were wonderful and these were wonderful so make either one as these were easy and delicious.  We all really enjoyed the flavor, the texture and sweetness of the pancakes and honestly, had I not known these were wheat, egg & dairy free, I never would have guessed it.  Another wonderful thing about this recipe is that the pancakes stayed well wrapped in the refrigerator and then reheated beautifully in the microwave so Maisie was able to enjoy the leftovers a couple of mornings for breakfast. 

Apple Pancakes (Adapted from here)

1 cup gluten-free pancake & waffle mix
1 TBS chia seeds
2 TBS boiling water
2/3 cup Almond Breeze original
1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 TBS. vegetable oil, plus more for pan

maple syrup

In a medium bowl mix together the chia seeds and boiling water, stir well and allow to sit for five minutes.  Then add the Almond Breeze, grated apple, applesauce, cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon oil and stir to mix well.  Add the pancake mix and stir to combine.  Heat a large cast iron skillet and lightly coat with vegetable oil.  Using a large cookie scoop measure out the batter into the pan.  Cook until golden brown and then flip to brown the second side.  Serve with maple syrup or additional applesauce.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Apple Pork

I’ll totally admit it, this may not be the prettiest dish but it is the most wonderfully delicious pulled pork I have ever had!  I have made this recipe dozens and dozens of times but because it’s not pretty I just never took a picture but I have had so many requests for the recipe and I’m tired of it being my responsibility to remember to email the recipe, I’ve relented and I’m putting it here on the blog, unattractive pictures and all. 

I love that I can easily scale this recipe up or down depending on how many people I need to feed, it cooks just as well in a slow cooker or the oven and best of all, it freezes wonderfully and because it’s so delicious I always try to keep some in the freezer for when the craving strikes.  I implore you, make this pork and you’ll be licking your bowl and your dinner guests will think you’re the best cook ever.

Sweet & Spicy Apple Pork

(It is best to make this a day ahead if possible so to skim the fat)

2 - 12 oz cans frozen apple juice concentrate
1 cup ketchup 
1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I like K.C. Masterpiece Original)
1 TBS cumin 
1 TBS sweet paprika 
1 head of garlic, peeled & minced
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Ground cayenne pepper  (I use 2 tsp which gives it a good bit of spice but I'd suggest the first time you only use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 whole medium onions, diced
5-6 pounds boneless pork shoulder butt roast, cut into big chunks

Directions:
Oven Method: Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Add everything but the pork to a large roaster and stir to mix well.  Add the pork and mix well. Cover tightly and cook for 4-6 hours or until the pork is very tender.  Once cooked allow to cool a little and then remove the pork to a platter fat side up and remove as much of the fat as possible (it will very easily scrape off.)  With two forks you can either pull the pork into some serving size big chunks or "shred" it for pulled pork sandwiches.   Put all the cooked liquids into a large bowl and then add the pork back to the liquid and push it down to submerge completely.  Cover tightly and chill overnight.  Skim the fat from the top and then just reheat.  I serve this various ways, over wide egg noodles, over rice or as pulled pork sandwiches on buns. 

Slow cooker Method:  Follow the directions above but cook on high for 8-10 hours or until pork is very tender.  After the pork is cooked and you do all the fat removal as above, if you have a slow cooker with a removable crock, chill overnight covered right in the crock, remove the fat layer and reheat right in your slow cooker.

Enjoy!

Apple, Cranberry & Rhubarb Crisp

I don’t particularly care for pie crusts but I enjoy the fillings so over the years I’ve realized that what I do really enjoy are crisps and they’re super simple and very forgiving to make.  Back in July I posted a recipe for a Rhubarb Crisp and because I love that crisp so much I decided that for Thanksgiving this year I would change it up a little adding apples and cranberries for a more seasonal taste and serve it for dessert.  In addition to the more seasonal fruit I changed the crisp topping ingredients to make it “safe” for Maisie and her food allergies.  The recipe worked out well, the dessert was delicious and a perfect finish to our Thanksgiving dinner.

In a large oven-safe casserole dish mix together the fruit and syrup.

Top the fruit mixture with the oatmeal and nut crumble mixture.

Bake until the fruit is bubbly and the topping has browned a bit.

Apple, Cranberry & Rhubarb Crisp

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled & large dice
1 pound ruby rhubarb, fresh or frozen, sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Syrup
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS warm water

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup very roughly chopped walnuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup old fashioned oats 
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large oven-safe casserole dish combine the lemon juice, sugar and water and stir to dissolve.  Add the apples, rhubarb & cranberries and stir to coat the fruit with the syrup.  In a separate microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and then add the walnuts, brown sugar and oats and using your fingers, mix to combine into a crumbly mix.  Sprinkle over the fruit.

Bake 40-50 minutes until the fruit is bubbly around the edges and the crisp has started to brown.  Serve warm or room temperature.

Enjoy!!

Apple Dumplings

Recently I saw a recipe for apple dumplings on Tina’s blog, Moms Crazy Cooking and they looked so easy and delicious I just had to make them.

When I say easy, I mean easy.  Peel and slice an apple.

Wrap each apple slice in a triangle of refrigerated crescent dough.

Lay the wrapped apples in a greased pan.

Pour on a mixture of melted butter, sugar and vanilla.

Spread on some partially thawed apple  juice concentrate and add some water.  

Sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped pecans and then bake. 

Like I said, super simple and what you get are hot and delicious apple dumplings.

Apple Dumplings (Adapted from here)

1 stick butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups sugar
1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 granny smith apples
1/2 can frozen apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup water
ground cinnamon 
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Peel and slice your apples. Wrap each slice in a crescent dough triangle and place in a sprayed (greased) 8x8-inch pan.  In a bowl melt the butter and then lightly stir in the sugar and vanilla so that the mixture remains grainy. Pour over top of the wrapped apples. Spread the frozen apple concentrate over the wrapped apples and pour in the water.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans. Place in 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who commented and emailed with food suggestions, websites and links in helping me with food substitutions and suggestions so that I can feed Maisie with her recently diagnosed allergy to wheat, milk and egg whites.  I am beginning to find my way and hopefully soon I’ll easily be cooking up a storm of wonderful foods that are safe for Maisie to eat.

Caramel Apples

Today my beautiful Maisie Miao Miao made caramel apples.

For Maisie it wasn’t about making a gorgeous homemade caramel or fancy ingredients, it was about the fun of being with Mom in the kitchen, dipping apples in caramel that tastes good to her and putting on lots of extra chocolate bits and nuts.  It was the fun of the activity that made my girl so happy

Maisie decided that she wanted the apples rolled in a mix of semi sweet chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate bits and milk chocolate bits along with some Winter Spiced Nuts, . 

Maisie debating about how many chips and nuts would really be needed on the apples as she performs a little quality control taste testing.

Maisie carefully dipped the apples.

Then she rolled it in the chip and nut mixture.

Maisie proudly displaying her finished caramel apples.

Caramel Apples

1 11-oz. bag Kraft Caramel Bits
4-5 apples, I used honey crisp
candy bits of your choice, we used semi-sweet chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.
nuts of your choice, I used Planters Winter Spiced Nuts

Wash and dry the apples and insert a popsicle stick.  Melt the Caramel Bits as directed on the package.  Dip & coat the apples completely and then immediately roll in the add-ons of your choice.  Place the coated apple on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat.  Refrigerate at least an hour to allow the caramel to set up completely.

Enjoy!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Yep, I’ve gone out and done it again and I joined yet another monthly cooking challenge.  I now participate in The Secret Recipe Club, the Crazy Cooking Challenge, Cook Around the Globe and now my newest, The Improv Cooking Challenge.  This challenge is hosted by Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain and how this challenge works is, each month two ingredients are assigned and you can make any recipe of your choice as long as it includes those two ingredients.  For this, the inaugural month of The Improv Cooking Challenge Sheryl has chosen two ingredients which are perfect for this time of year, apples and caramel. 

When I first saw the two required ingredients I knew immediately which recipe I would be making for the challenge as I’ve had Scrambled Hen Fruit's recipe for Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies saved in my “need to make” file since she first posted it almost a year ago.  It was another one of those recipes which called to me but I just never got around to making until this opportunity put it front and center. 

I did have one difficulty in making this recipe and that was, for the life of me I couldn’t find the traditional square wrapped Kraft Caramels anywhere locally and I was just itching to make the cookies so I decided to make them with Kraft Caramel Bits.  Then wouldn’t you know it, two days after making the cookies I spotted the Kraft Caramels and because the cookies were so delicious with the Kraft Caramel Bits I just had to make them again with the traditional caramels.  Though we loved the cookies with the caramel bits I do think that the traditional caramels worked better in that I ended up with a larger gooey caramel center but I’ll tell you, the bits were a darn good substitute and provided nice gooey bits in the cookie so either way these cookies were a hit. 

Fill a medium cookie scoop with the cookie batter.

Press an unwrapped Kraft Caramel or

Six-to-seven Kraft Caramel Bits into the center of the cookie dough.

Pinch the cookie dough to cover the caramel or bits.

Ready for the oven.

Gorgeous cookies hot from the oven.

I made a couple of changes to the cookie batter.  The first time that I made the cookies with the bits I mixed the batter up exactly as written on Scrambled Hen Fruit's blog and then I did my usual “quality control” taste testing of the batter.  The flavor was wonderful with the apple cider flavor shining through but then I thought caramel apple pie and decided to add some additional apple pie spices to give it more of that apple pie flavor.  The final batter was delicious and once baked everyone loved the flavors of the cookies.  When I made the cookies the second time with the traditional caramels I made one additional change, I substituted half of the granulated sugar with brown sugar just to bump up the caramel flavor a wee bit more.  I liked the batter and cookies best with the additional spices and the brown sugar and it would have been wonderful baked up on it’s own or with some toasted nuts or as I followed through and did, with the addition of the caramel.  Whether you choose to use the original recipe or one of my variations you’re looking at a fabulous tasting cookie.

Cookies made with caramel bits.

Cookies made with traditional caramels.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies  (Adapted from here) 

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract  
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice 
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
3 cups all purpose flour
1 bag Kraft Caramel Bits (11 oz.) or Kraft Caramels (14 oz.)

Preheat oven to 325F.  Line baking sheets with either a Silpat or parchment paper.  In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, salt and the contents of all 10 packets of Alpine Spiced Apple Cider and blend until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time mixing until incorporated.  Add the vanilla and blend until mixed.  Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom and flour and mix until well blended. 

Using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 TBS) fill the scoop level with the cookie dough.  While the cookie dough is still in the scoop, press either one unwrapped Kraft Caramel or 6-7 Kraft Caramel Bits into the center of the dough and then pinch the dough to cover the caramel.  Release the scoop of dough onto prepared cookie sheet placing about 2-inches apart. 

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, allow the cookies to partially cool on the Silpat or parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully remove from the Silpat or twist off the parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) The cookies can cool completely on the Silpat and they release without any problems but 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 about 3 1/2 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies, how much batter you’ve “taste tested” and how many caramels you’ve snitched from the bag before you begin.  Store in an airtight container.

Once the cookies have cooked completely, to enjoy the nice soft caramel center again either set your cookie over a nice hot cup of tea to warm up the caramel or microwave the cookie for approximately 15 seconds.

Enjoy!