Iced Apple Drop Cookies

Iced Apple Drop Cookies with lots of apple flavor....

These apple cookies are super soft and full of apple flavor. They contain fresh apple, dried apple, apple jelly, apple juice, and boiled apple cider.

To quote one of my colleagues at work,  "Those things are dangerous."

My little five year old grandson spent the night last night (oh how I love having him spend the night!) and ate three of them for dessert (he skipped the freezer drawer full of ice cream novelties that we keep on hand for his visits...  Note to parents: that's what grandparents do....).

Iced Apple Drop Cookies Recipe

Makes about 30 cookies. Slightly Adapted from the All American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C peeled and finely chopped apples

1/4 C finely chopped dried apples

1/4 C apple jelly

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

2 C (9 ounces) all purpose unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly soft 

3/4 C packed light brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

2/3 C powdered sugar

1/2 tsp light corn syrup

2-3 drops vanilla

1 tsp boiled cider (optional)

Apple juice to thin the icing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the middle.
2. Line three baking sheets with parchment.
3. In a 3 quart saucepan, cook the apples, apple jelly, cinnamon, and nutmeg over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let it cool. 
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together, and set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixture, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat until incorporated.
6. Beat in half of the flour mixture on low until just incorporated. 
7. Add the cooled apple mixture and mix. 
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix in the rest of the flour mixture with a spatula until just incorporated. 
9. Using a 2-Tablespoon Cookie Scoop or a coffee scoop, drop the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheets, about 2 1/2 inches apart, about 10 cookies per baking sheet. Slightly flatten the cookies with oiled hands. 
10. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. 
11. Cool on the pan for about 2 minutes on a rack, and then move the cookies to a rack with a spatula and cool completely. 
12. Mix the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, optional boiled cider, and enough apple juice to make a glaze. 
13. Place the icing into a plastic bag and snip a tiny hole in the corner. Drizzle the icing over the cookies as pictured. 
14. Store the cookies in an airtight container for about 5 days.