Apple Cookies

Fall is my favorite season, and one of my favorite foods this time of year is fresh apples. A couple of weeks ago I bought roughly 8lbs of fresh picked apples from my local grocery store, it seemed like a good idea at the time...Roughly two weeks later, I'm now scrambling for ways to use up the apples before they go bad (though I have kept them in the fridge to extend their shelf-life). After snacking on apples almost everyday, and making a failed honey apple challah bread (more on my love of challah later), I discovered a recipe for apple cookies while browsing the internet. Below is a modified version of the recipe I found.

Apple Cookies
Adapted from Bakers & Best
Serving size vary - I got 17 large cookies out of this batch

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (8 tbsp), softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar (according to the original recipe regular sugar is alright too, but I feel that the brown sugar really adds to the flavoring)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large apple or 2 small apples (I used Macintosh, though a tarter apple might hold up better over time)

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Peel, core, and cut apple(s) into small pieces. Place onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

3. While the apples are baking, prepare the cookie batter. With a hand mixer or whisk, combine butter and sugar until well combined. Next whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Slowly mix in the flour until well combined.

4. By this point the apples should be almost done. Once they are out of the oven, let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

5. Once cooled, gently use a rubber spatula to fold the apples into the batter.

6. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop out onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

7. Cookies are done when the edges start to turn a golden-brown.

8. Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

9. Enjoy!

Additional Note: Eat these cookies right away! The apples break down quickly once baked and these cookies will get mushy very fast, especially if kept in containers such as plastic bags (I learned this the hard way the first time I made them!). 

Nutritional Info per Cookie:
Calories 138; Total Fat 6g; Cholesterol 27mg; Sodium 136mg; Total Carbs 21g; Protein 2g