I photographed yet another birth earlier this week. Baby girl was born easily and peacefully at home. With all these babies and births, I’m not posting here nearly as often as I used to…but for the first time since I started blogging, I feel like it’s the right time for me to take a small step back from Anecdotes and Apple Cores. (But don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere!)
Not only did I get to watch a baby make her way into the world, but I also had the joy of watching my baby fall in love with Halloween. Dressing up, walking around our neighborhood, knocking on doors, picking out candy…she loved the whole experience from start to finish. And what more perfect costume for my daughter than that of a french mademoiselle?
On Friday afternoon, I realized we didn’t have an ounce of candy in our house. So naturally…I baked cookies. Because who wouldn’t want to receive a homemade cookie? Thankfully, we live in a small close-knit neighborhood where cookie-sharing on Halloween wouldn’t be creepy. These cookies were in the oven and on this cakestand within an hour’s time. They were slightly sweet, buttery, and bursting with the best flavors of fall.
Apple Pie Cookies
1 cup diced and peeled apples
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 stick (8 tablespoons butter) room temperature
1/2 cup coconut sugar (brown sugar works too)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add diced apples and maple syrup. Cook until apples are tender and begin to caramelize slightly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl attached to a stand mixer, beat together coconut sugar and butter until smooth and creamy, about five minutes. Stir in egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture. A soft dough should form. Allow to chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop dough out in one-inch balls. Place about two-inches apart on baking sheet. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, form a small indentation into each piece of dough. Generously spoon cooked apples into center. Bake cookies until the edges are lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Remove and serve warm.
