Apple Butter Cookies

Method

Cinnamon Swirl

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the apple butter, dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix them together until the mixture is well combined. Cover it and set it in the freezer for about 15 minutes, while you make the cookies.
14 grams salted butter melted, 18 grams apple butter, 50 grams dark brown sugar lightly packed, 1 tsp ground cinnamon

In the bowl of the stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), place the room temperature butter with the light brown sugar and apple butter. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for two minutes.
113 grams salted butter room temperature, 200 grams light brown sugar lightly packed, 65 grams apple butter
Scrape the edge of the bowl and then add the egg and the vanilla. Turn the mixer back up to medium speed and beat for another two minutes.
1 large egg room temperature or cold , 2 tsp vanilla extract
Scrape the edge of the bowl again and then add the flour, baking powder and salt. Turn the mixer up to low speed and mix just until the last streak of flour is combined.
240 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
By now the cinnamon swirl mixture should have hardened a little. It should be firm but malleable, not frozen hard. Add this to the cookie dough and turn the mixer up to low speed for just a couple seconds to allow the mixtures to marble together. Don't over-mix.
Refrigerate the marbled cookie dough for 30-60 minutes, until the dough is firm but scoop-able and holds it's shape well.
Scoop 2.5 ounces of cookie dough onto two baking sheets (5-6 cookies per sheet), freeze each tray for at least 15 minutes, while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection**. Bake for about 10 minutes and then remove the cookies from the oven, give the pan a good bang on the counter and use something round or a utensil to press in the sides to make them more round (if they need it).

MY oven is weirdly hot on the bottom so I bake at convection to rotate the heat. I normally bake cookies at 325F convection (in my oven) and these are at 350F so there's a chance you may need to increase your oven temperature to 375F if you normally bake cookies at 350F.

Return to the oven and bake for another 4 minutes. The edges should feel set and lightly browned, the center should puff up and JUST starting not to look wet. It's ok if some of them still look a little wet right in the center.
Bang the pan on the counter again and scoot them around again to bring in the edges. Allow them to cool on the pan for at least 10-20 minutes before removing. The center's should fully set by then.

Apple Butter Icing

Once the cookies have cooled, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with the apple butter, vanilla and water, until it's completely smooth.
120 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, 18 grams apple butter, 15-30 mL water depending on thick you want it, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder

Start with less water and just add as much as you need to desired consistency. I used about 15mL of water for the thicker icing that's drizzled and 30 mL for the icing that's dipped.

Drizzle on top of the cookies and serve or allow the icing to set.

Apple Butter Cookies

Equipment

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl

Apple Butter Cookies

Apple Butter Icing

Method

Cinnamon Swirl

Apple Butter Cookies

Apple Butter Icing

Notes

Nutrition