Fresh Apple Cookies
Submitted by perkinskaren
Soft, spiced drop cookies loaded with chopped fresh apples, raisins, and nuts, then finished with a simple vanilla glaze. An old-fashioned fall cookie with a cake-like bite and warm spice flavor.
YIELD
3 dozenPREP
25 minCOOK
20 minREADY
1 hrsThese fresh apple cookies sit somewhere between a cookie and a cake, thanks to the chopped fresh apples that add real fruit moisture to the dough. They’re pillowy rather than chewy, and the cinnamon-clove-nutmeg trio gives them the exact warm spice profile you want from a fall cookie.
Chopping the apples fine, about ¼ inch pieces, is the move. Bigger chunks release too much water and turn the cookie center gummy. Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work best, since their firmer flesh holds shape through the short bake.
Coating the apples, nuts, and raisins in half the flour before folding them into the butter mixture is an old baker’s trick. The flour dusting keeps the fruit from sinking to the bottom and ensures even distribution in every cookie.
The vanilla glaze goes on while the cookies are still warm so it melts slightly and soaks into the tops instead of sitting as a hard shell.
Pro Tips
- Use apple juice rather than milk in the dough for a more pronounced apple flavor.
- Pull the cookies from the oven when they look just set. They continue firming up on the sheet. Overbaking turns them dry.
- Use chopped walnuts or pecans for best results. Softer nuts like cashews get lost in the texture.
- Glaze while warm, but not hot. A 5-minute cool on a rack is right. Too hot and the glaze runs off entirely.
Variations
- Swap raisins for dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a sharper flavor.
- Add ½ cup of rolled oats for extra chew and a more rustic texture.
- Drizzle with a caramel glaze instead of vanilla for a richer finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Sift the flour and baking soda together in a medium mixing bowl.
In a large bowl; cream butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and the egg.
Add half the flour to the butter mixture and blend well. Mix half the juice or milk.
Add the apples, nuts, and raisins to the remaining flour.
Add the apple mixture to the butter mixture.
Stir in the remaining juice or milk.
Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are firm.
While cookies are warm, spread with vanilla glaze.
For the glaze, blend all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
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