Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

The other day I was on Pinterest and I saw a recipe for these cookies pinned by the Scrambled Henfruit Blog.  She says that she got it from The Cooking Photographer Blog.  So now I've found two more blogs I love. 

By the way, if you haven't discovered Pinterest you've got to check it out.  Warning, it is a very addicting website. LOL I'm amazed at all of the great stuff on there.

I made these cookies yesterday afternoon to take to my monthly Bunco group last night.  Let me tell you that these are heaven on a plate.  First let me say that when I was making these cookies I had an idea pop into my head.  A revelation if you will.  My youngest son was a total crab yesterday afternoon and kept wanting me to pick him up.  I was trying to get the batter made so I could put it in the fridge to chill and he kept grabbing my leg.  I've decided that this should be one of the  Top Chef Just Desserts or one of the other Top Chef series quick fire challenge.  See if you could cook in thirty minutes with a screaming kid constantly grabbing your leg.  Or stopping your work to pick them up. So Bravo, if you are reading my blog then if you decide to use this idea, please let me come to the Top Chef kitchens to watch.  LOL

And now back to the cookie making. As you'll see in the recipe below, I did some adaptions from the recipe that the Scrambled Henfruit blog posted.  Instead of using cinnamon, I had Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend which I'd never used before.  So I decide to roll the dice and add it in.  I also did not have an hour to chill my batter.  I had 15 minutes.  I will agree with the Scrambled Henfruit blog that if you can give yourself an hour, do so.  I found the dough a bit of a challenge to work with and it would have been easier if it had a chance to firm up a little more. 

Another note, is I used the medium size cookie scoop by Pampered Chef.  When I got to the step where you put the caramel in the middle, I pinched off some dough from the bowl and used that to cover the caramel.  I felt like these cookies were giant, but I don't know if you could get away with making them but so much smaller since the caramels are big.  If you wanted smaller cookies, I'd recommend cutting the caramel in half.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies
Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)
• In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
• With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)
• When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.
• Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. (I used a rounded cookie scoop-full. My scoop holds about a Tablespoon.)
• Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
• Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.
• Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container 

I enjoyed one of these cookies before Bunco with a cup of hot apple cider from my Keurig. Can you tell I like apple cider? LOL

So, do you drink apple cider? What do you think about apple cider cookies?