Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Do you guys read The Kitchn? If you don’t, you should!

So one day I was checkin’ on the ‘ol Google Reader and this post about 9 Cookies the blog writer wanted to bake soon was glaring me in the face…one of the the recipes were these AMAZING sounding caramel apple cider cookies.

Fast forward to the end of the day and I’m perusing my grocery store aching for a recipe to jump out at me and like a beacon in the night there was a box of apple cider mix. DONE!

These are great…it’s like mmmm comforting…and then ah! a surprise!

Enjoy!

PS – I’ll post pictures of these amazing diddies (shout out, Linds!) after the Bake Sale for Haiti (where I’ll be selling them!).

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

From The Cooking Photographer

1 cup unsalted butter, nearly melted
1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tspn salt
1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix *Not sugar free*
2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) bag caramels

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The Cooking Photographer calls for parchment paper here, but I’ve found that if you do a good job of evenly covering the caramel, you’ll be fine.

2. With a mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour and mix until just combined.

3. With a cookie scoop, scoop (dare I say, I told you!?) the dough scrapping off the excess as you go up the bowl. Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place a caramel in the center. Work the dough around the caramel sealing well. Place the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.

4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. After baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter. Let cool until they are no longer soft but still slightly warm. Remove, and cool the rest of the way upside down on the parchment or on a cooling rack.