Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Apple cookies. With caramel. Yum.

There's a little bit of a debate going on with these cookies. See, some argue that they're even better than my sex cookies. I beg to differ. I mean, they're good. They're really really good. But come on now, sex cookies are the best cookies in the whole wide world!

Anyway. This recipe is super tasty. Wait, I say that about everything I make. Well, I really mean it this time! Actually, I really mean it every time. Sheesh, I need to come up with some more adjectives. These cookies are...yummy? Fall-licious? Shoot, I'm not feeling all that creative right now.

My hands look weird close up

So my friend Molly made these the other day too (remember her? With the cute dog? And the pumpkin monkey bread? Yeah, her) but without the caramel. Her reasoning was that the dough was already too sweet, and the caramels would just make them melt-your-teeth-off sweet. And she didn't have any. Being the one-upper that I am, I had to make them better. And caramel makes everything better. In this case at least!

Trust me, these are good without the caramel, don't get me wrong, but they're tart. The caramel balances them out, and makes magic when they're straight out of the oven. Ooey, gooey, magical magic. Or just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds if you're eating them later, close enough. Just do yourself a favor. Bake these.


Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
From Scrambled Henfruit

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 box (7.4 oz) Spiced Apple Cider drink mix, all 10 packets (it's by the hot coco in the grocery store)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag (14 oz) wrapped caramels

Line cookie sheets with parchment (or foil. You really need to this time, trust me!)

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. In a seperate bowl, cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider mix, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well. Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Meanwhile, unwrap all your caramels. 

Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. 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.

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. 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. 

Makes about 4 dozen, depending on how many caramels you ate!