Caramel Appledoodles

I really missed participating in the recipe swaps while I was on vacation, but as soon as Sarah from A Taste of Home Cooking announced this round of the recipe swap I signed right up. It’s a Blogger’s Choice swap, so I was assigned Lindsay’s blog Life and Kitchen and I got to pick anything I wanted. For the recipe swaps, I usually pick a main dish, just to post something different for a change. But I looked through Lindsay’s blog and came across these caramel appledoodles and I knew that I had to make them. Snickerdoodles are my favorite, combined with caramel and apples? Sign me up!

I always try to have caramel bits in the cupboard. I love them! My local Target carried them but I noticed they were on clearance so I bought the two bags they had left. Luckily, I noticed another local grocery store carries them so I was relieved. They are so much easier to use than having to unwrap and chop up caramels. I used a braeburn apple, which is what I had on hand. It was a little soft, so make sure that you use a nice firm apple. I was worried that the apple would brown while the dough chilled, but it was fine. 

The dough for these is quite sticky, and remained so even after chilling longer than an hour. I think my apple was too big and there was too much apple for the amount of dough. They still baked up great. I tried to rush them on to the wire rack to cool, but you have to let them cool some first or the caramel bits will stick to the baking sheet. (They even stick to the silicone mat!) So you have to be a little patient with these cookies, but they are worth it. Cinnamon sugar, caramel and apples are a winning combination. Thanks for the recipe Lindsay!

Caramel Appledoodles

½ cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 apple, peeled, cored and finely diced

1 cup caramel bits

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cinnamon

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. In a small bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.  Fold in the apples and caramel bits.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Mix together the 1/2 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.  Shape the dough into small balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Life and Kitchen