Apple Pie Cookies

Okay, who doesn't like Apple Pie?? I think deep down inside most of us have memories of our mothers or grandmothers making apple pie for the holidays or in the summer. That sweet apple-cinnamon aroma that fills the house while it's baking is so comforting and the anticipation of wanting a slice, alamode of course, is torture. It's one of life's little pleasures that you'd like to have around all the time. So that's where these cookies step in. I thought how neat it would be to have an apple pie cookie that I could satisfy my craving with. I did a little searching and found this recipe on http://www.applepie.org (go figure!). This site boasts having more apple pie recipes than any other - very cool!

I've found that chilling the dough overnight works best. I've even prepared the dough and the filling a couple days ahead to save time.

Apple Pie Cookies

½ cup Crisco vegetable shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup milk

3 ½  cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup dark brown sugar – firmly packed

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups of chopped skinless green apples (or golden delicious)

1. In a mixing bowl fitted with paddle attachment whip together the shortening and the sugar until creamy.

2. Add in the egg, vanilla and milk and mix for 2 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl mix 3 ¼ cups of flour (reserving ¼ cup for apple mixture), cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda. Spoon into wet ingredients and mix together until your cookie dough is creamy and consistent.

4. Place dough into an airtight container and place in refrigerator to chill for roughly three hours, or until the dough is soft enough to handle. Dough can be refrigerated overnight.

5. For apple filling, take a heavy bottom saucepan, and add in the dark brown sugar, the remaining flour, ground cinnamon, and chopped green apples. Cook these ingredients over medium high heat until the apples begin to soften, and the sugar is completely melted. Let cool, stirring so that it begins to thicken.

6. Flour a clean and sterile surface. Roll your dough out to an eighth of an inch thickness, then cut it with 3” round cutter. Set your cookies two inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

7. Spoon your apple filling on to each cookie cutout, then top the filling off with another cookie cutout layer, sealing the edges on each.

8. Bake at 375˚F, for ten to twelve minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.

9. Decorate with cinnamon-flavored royal icing.

10. Store in airtight container layers separated by wax paper.