MAYNARD’S APPLE PIE COOKIES
Ingredients for the cookies
- 1 (14-oz.)
package refrigerated pie dough (2 crusts)
- 3 Tablespoons
of salted butter (or unsalted with a pinch of salt)
- 1/2 cup packed
light brown sugar
- Juice
of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tablespoon
of cold apple juice (water might be substitute for apple juice, but
be sure the liquid is cold as it will be mixed with cornstarch, which
clumps with warm liquid)
- 1 Tablespoon. cornstarch
- 2 apples,
peeled and diced – I use Granny Smith Apples
Ingredients for the drizzle
- 1/2 cup powdered
sugar
- 2 to 3
Teaspoons heavy cream
Directions
1.
We all get a little lazy with the practice of mise
en place, but in this recipe that practice of measuring before you
begin to cook is important. Measure
everything in the order they are listed, except the ingredients for the drizzle
(the powdered sugar and heavy cream) as that can wait.
2.
In a medium saucepan, melt the 3 Tablespoons of
butter over medium-high heat.
3.
Add the apples and cook until they start to
soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the apples
and butter in the saucepan throughout this time.
4.
Add the brown sugar and lemon juice and stir,
bring to a simmer and cook and stir until the apples are soft and the
liquid is starting to reduce. Do this
for another 3 to 4 more minutes.
5.
In a small bowl, whisk together the apple juice
and cornstarch and add it to the pan.
6.
Continue to cook, and stir, until the
mixture thickens, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.
7.
OPTION: A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom in the
apple filling would make them taste even more “apple-pie like.
- Preheat
the oven to 350˚F.
- Line
a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll
out 1 piece of pie dough into a 12-inch round. Using a 3 to 3 ½ inch
cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut out small rounds and arrange on the
baking sheet.
- Gently
pinch up the edges of each round to form a shallow cup so the filling
stays in place. Do this before the
dough has a chance to rise, as it will be harder to shape.
- Re-roll
the scraps and cut out more rounds and keep doing this until you are out
of dough. You can use some of the
dough to cut into strips so as to place onto of the cookies, giving it a
lattice look like a real pie, but some find this to be too much cookie. If
adding strips for a lattice, lightly press them onto the dough edges so
they adhere before baking.
- After
the rounds are on the baking sheet and shaped, place 1 tablespoon of the
apple mixture in the center of each.
- Bake
until golden around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Remove
to a rack to cool.
- After
they cool, make the drizzle. In
a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, and heavy cream. Drizzle
over the cookies.
Best the day they’re made, but
they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days
A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom in the apple filling would make them taste even more “apple-pie like.
