Iced Apple Drop Cookies

These apple cookies are super soft and full of apple flavor. 

These cookies contain five versions of apple, including chopped fresh apples, dried apples, apple jelly, apple juice, and boiled apple cider. The flavor of apples truly shines in these cookies. 

I'll never forget how much my taste testers loved these the first time I made them almost twelve years ago ... to quote one of my colleagues at work, "These things are dangerous." 

On top of that, my little (at the time) five year old grandson had three of the cookies for his dessert,  passing on the freezer drawer full of ice cream novelties that we usually keep on hand for when he visits. 

These cookies are super soft and moist and they are loaded with layers of apple flavor. 

Ingredients in These Apple Cookies:

Apples: The cookies contain fresh chopped apples, chopped dried apples, apple jelly, and the icing includes apple juice and optional boiled cider. 

For the fresh apples, I've typically used a mix of apples. Most recently, I used a large Envy apple, which is sweet and crisp. 

For the dried apples, you can either dry your own apple slices in the oven or buy dried apples in the grocery store, typically in the same section as raisins and cranberries. 

The boiled cider is optional. It's a great ingredient for adding apple flavor to the icing. 

Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. 

Pantry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, powdered sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. 

Refrigerator Ingredients: Egg yolk and unsalted butter. 

To Make These Cookies:

First, in a large saucepan, cook the chopped fresh apples, chopped dried apples, apple jelly, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the apples have softened. 

Next, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl, and then, in a bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, and then beat in the egg yolk. 

After that, add half of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and gently beat it in. Add the cooked apples mixture and then beat in the rest of the flour mixture. Scoop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about 10 to 12 minutes. 

Finally, mix powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, apple juice, and the optional boiled cider and drizzle the icing over the tops of the cookies. 

Equipment You May Need:

For Portioning the Cookie Dough: Either a two tablespoon cookie scoop or a coffee scoop are just the right size. 

For Baking the Cookies: You will need two to three half sheet pans and parchment paper. You can reuse the pans and parchment paper as long as you let the pan cool to room temperature between baking. 

To Drizzle the Icing: You can either use a spoon or a ziploc sandwich bag. To use the sandwich bag, fill it with the icing and then cut off a corner of the bag for drizzling. 

For Mixing the Cookie Dough: You can either use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. In a pinch, you can also mix the dough by hand. 

Tips for Success:

Tip #1: Line the bottom of your storage container with a layer or two of paper towels and be sure to let the glaze dry completely before sealing the lid. It's okay to leave the lid slightly ajar. Because of the fresh fruit in the cookies, the cookies will stay moist. 

Tips #2: After portioning the dough on the parchment paper, use your oiled fingers to gently flatten the tops of the rounded scoops of dough. Do not flatten all the way, but be sure to leave plenty of room between each scoop of dough because these cookies flatten out quite a bit while baking. 

Sweet and Savory Apple Recipes

• Apple Bread Pudding from Creative Cynchronicity
• Caramel Apple Pie Lassi from Magical Ingredients
• Chicken Apple Brat Burgers from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• Iced Apple Drop Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Norwegian Apple Cake from Art of Natural Living
• Savory Apple Chutney from That Recipe

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

Iced Apple Drop Cookies

Yield: 30 Cookies

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

These apple cookies are super soft and full of apple flavor. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped apple (about 1 large apple)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried apples
• 1/4 cup apple jelly
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups (9 ounces) all purpose unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 2-3 drops pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon boiled cider (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple juice to thin the icing so that you can drizzle it

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, until the apples are softened. 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 (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), 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. Mix in the rest of the flour mixture with the paddle attachment until just incorporated. Let the mixture sit for about five to ten minutes to firm up a bit.
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 tops of the cookie dough with lightly oiled fingers.
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. You can also drizzle the glaze with a spoon instead.
14. Once the glaze has fully dried, store the cookies in an airtight container for about 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

132

Fat (grams)

6 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4 g

Carbs (grams)

18 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

17 g

Sugar (grams)

11 g

Protein (grams)

1 g

Cholesterol (grams)

22 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2013/10/iced-apple-drop-cookies.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

apple, cookies

dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @karenskitchenstories.com on instagram and hashtag it #karenskitchenstories

Recipe adapted from The All-American Cookie Book (2001) by Nancy Baggett.