Caramel Apple Thumbprint Cookies Food

SALTED CARAMEL THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine 2/3 cup butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour and salt; beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb or end of wooden spoon handle. (Edges may crack slightly). Bake 7-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool completely.
• Combine 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream. Cool caramel mixture about 15 minutes.
• Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture into center of each cooled cookie. Let caramel set about 5 minutes. Sprinkle tops of each cookie lightly with sea salt.

CARAMEL APPLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Stir in chips., Shape into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes. Immediately insert a round toothpick in center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine caramels and water. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Holding a cookie by the toothpick, dip cookie in caramel mixture, turning to coat. Allow excess to drip off. Immediately dip the bottom and sides in pecans., Place on waxed paper. Repeat with remaining cookies, caramel mixture and pecans. Let stand until set.

CARAMEL APPLE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar topping. Mix the 1/3 cup of sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon of apple pie spice. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Set Aside.
• In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or large bowl with a hand mixer. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add the flour to the dough and mix slowly until combined.
• Roll dough into balls - about 1 tablespoon of dough each. Roll the dough balls in the sugar apple pie spice mixture.
• Place dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use the end of a spatula to make an indent into each cookie. Chill the cookie balls for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place chilled cookies on a parchment paper lined or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet. Place cookies about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. The cookies will be just set if you gently poke one. Remove from oven and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of caramel into each indentation. If while baking, the indentations have puffed up you can use the end of the spatula to remake the indent. Place caramel filled cookies back in the oven and bake for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden.
• Allow cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store cookies in the refrigerator for up to one week. Storing in the fridge helps keep the caramel set. If stacking, stack between layers of wax or parchment paper to avoid the caramel sticking.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. In a shallow bowl, beat egg white. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Dip balls in egg white, then in pecans, patting to help pecans adhere., Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool., In a large heavy saucepan, melt caramels with cream over low heat; stir until smooth. Fill each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

CARAMEL APRICOT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust rack to middle position. Coat two cookie sheets lightly with no-stick cooking spray.
• BEAT brown sugar and shortening in medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour on low speed until well blended.
• BEAT egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Measure about two teaspoons dough for each cookie. Form into balls by rolling between your palms. Dip each dough ball into egg whites, then roll into pecans. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon or your thumb, make a rounded indentation in the top of each cookie.
• BAKE 10 minutes. Remove from oven. It may be necessary to create the indentation once again with a spoon. Place about 1/2 teaspoon caramel topping into the indentation of each cookie. Then place about 1/2 teaspoon preserves on top of the caramel. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for several minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

APPLE PIE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Toss together the apples, lemon juice, apple pie spice, vanilla and 1/3 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the apple mixture and stir to coat with the butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adding about 1/4 cup water if the mixture becomes too dry or begins to brown, until the apples are tender and shiny, about 20 minutes. When the apples are tender, there should be some liquid left in the skillet; if not, add 1/4 cup water and stir. Mix the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and pour it into the apple mixture. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil to activate the starch. Cook until thick and bubbly, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg until just combined. Turn the mixer to low and gradually beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, beating until just incorporated.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 1-tablespoon portions of dough and roll between your hands to form 1-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently press a thumbprint into the center of each ball about 1/2 inch deep, being careful not to crack the edges. Fill each indentation with 1 teaspoon of the filling, then chill the cookies 15 minutes in the freezer.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through, until the cookies are set, about 30 minutes. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

CARAMEL APPLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat confectioners' sugar, butter, and 1 tablespoon apple juice concentrate together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy; stir in flour and salt until dough is just combined. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls and arrange on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are light golden brown, 12 to 17 minutes. Immediately insert toothpicks in the center of each cookie. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Combine caramels, 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate, and water in a saucepan over low heat; cook and stir until mixture is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon caramel sauce over each cookie, letting excess caramel sauce drip off.
• Pour walnuts onto a plate. Press the bottom of each caramel-coated cookie into the walnuts and transfer to a sheet of waxed paper to set.