Soft Apple Pie Cookies Recipe

10/10/2023 by Living the Gourmet 29 Comments

^{This post has been sponsored by Mark T. Wendell. All opinions expressed are my own.}

I call this time the in-between; when the days begin growing shorter, the vibrant greens become muted and golden, and the world begins to shift ever so slightly and then all at once. The crisp autumn air begins to set in with the scent of sweet apples while filling the kitchen with warmth and comfort. It seems fall is at our doorsteps, and what better way to embrace the change in seasons than with our Apple Pie Cookies?

Today's recipe perfectly encapsulates the warm feelings and flavors of autumn, with its sweetly spiced apple filling and soft cookie crust. We will be sharing ingredient notes and recipe variations below, as well as, our favorite pairing for today's pie cookies- and fresh brew of loose leaf tea from one of our long-time favorite brands, Mark T. Wendell.

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Ingredient Checklist

Brown Sugar - Deemed as a quintessential ingredient when it comes to fall baking, brown sugar sales are at their highest come the month of October. Why is this? Well, for starters, brown sugar is denser and more compact than granulated sugar so it impacts the overall texture of baked goods, not just the color. When it comes to cakes, it helps them retain moisture and lends a softer quality. As for cookies, it may result in a more chewier result. The molasses in brown sugar gives a subtle richness which is why it fairs so well in pie fillings especially with its deep golden hue. Dark brown sugar tends to be sweeter than light brown, though both can be substituted with white sugar in a 1:1 ratio. For today's recipe, I used both types of sugars.
Lemon Juice - Every apple pie recipe you'll come across will tell you to toss your sliced apples with a squeeze of lemon juice. There are actually a couple of reasons for this, the main being it prevents oxidation of the apples. But it also brings out the natural flavors of the fruit and helps balance the sweetness in the pie filling. So, never leave out your lemons.
Fresh Apples - It goes without saying that apples are the star of the show, but there are a lot of varieties out there, so which apple should you choose for your favorite dessert? Granny Smith apples are classically hailed as the baking apple. It's crisp, juicy, and also the most tart among others. In many cases, the level of sweetness really comes down to preference. If you're someone who doesn't like an overly sweet pie, Granny Smiths are perfect since they balance out the sweetness of the sugars. However, not everyone likes a tart dessert and understandably so (myself included). I like using Honeycrisp though some might protest. If you like a sweeter pie, Honey Crisps are the ones to use, and they especially hold up well when baked. Now, if you fall somewhere in-between a few other apples you can use for baking pies or cakes are Braeburn, Jonagold, and Pink Lady. All of the varieties hold up well when baked in heartier desserts. Flavorwise they arguably fall in the middle of the sweetness meter. Braeburns hold a strong apple flavor, Jonagolds are a good combination of tart and honeyed sweetness, while Pink Ladies have sweet tannic notes.

Finish: Egg Wash vs. Heavy Cream - The short answer here is that either or will work just as long as you make sure to brush your pies, or in today's case, cookies. Egg wash is good if you want a deeper color and glossy finish, while a cream wash offers a golden, matte finish. For today's recipe, it's mainly preference. To finish the pie cookies off after they had been brushed, I also sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar though alternatively, Turbinado (raw) sugar also works.
Apple Pie Spice - While Pumpkin Spice gets most of the attention this time of year, Apple Pie Spice is also a fabulous mixture to keep on hand for your seasonal baking. It differs slightly from Pumpkin, in case you're wondering if you could substitute. And while you could make an argument for it, the main difference between the two however, is that apple pie spice contains cardamom which is actually quite distinguishable. Similar to cloves and nutmeg, cardamom has a strong flavor so a little goes a long way. It's peppery and offers a subtle but distinct herbaceous underlying note.
Vanilla (Bean, Extract, Paste, Powder) - Here are the four basics to baking in my handbook: flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Vanilla should never be overlooked. It enhances the flavor of almost every dessert. Sometimes, it can even make or break a recipe. The concentrated extract is the most accessible and affordable option when it comes to which vanilla to use when baking. And making your own extract is profoundly simple to do as well. Simply fill a jug with vodka (or white rum) and vanilla beans, then leave it to infuse for about 2 months or up to a year. As long as the alcohol is 70 proof, you can make your own. Vanilla beans are great but pricey, however in certain dishes such as homemade vanilla ice cream, custards, or pastry creams, I do encourage beans over extract. Vanilla paste is as the name suggests, a thick molasses-like paste that has specks of vanilla bean in it. It is slightly stronger than vanilla extract but again, it's a pricier option. Lastly, vanilla powder, which is alcohol free, is vanilla extract dried with cornstarch. It's good for spice mixtures and can be substituted for a 1:1 ration with vanilla extract and extract, powder is a more affordable option to beans and paste.

Slurry - Over the years, after many countless pie recipes, I have the found the fool-proof way to getting a perfectly thick pie filling that will never run. The secret lies in preparing a slurry to add into the juices of cooked apple. A slurry is a 1:2 ratio of cornstarch and water. If you have ever noticed, when you add cornstarch directly to the pan, it immediately clumps and it's hard to whisk out because of the fruit. Making the slurry beforehand ensures that the cornstarch has been properly broken down so it will never clump on you. I always use cornstarch as a thickener as well. Some say flour can thicken your filling but it actually requires a lot of flour to thicken the filling which will alter the flavor as well as run the risk of cooking down into a paste rather than a thickened sauce.
Pastry Crust - You want a pastry crust for today's recipe rather than your standard pie crust. We want these to be more like a cookie than a hand pie, the crust has to be delicate and flakey. I achieve this two ways- using confectioner's sugar in my crust and using a combination of shortening and butter. Confectioner's sugar is finely ground sugar and is actually slightly sweeter than regular sugar. Shortening is also preferred for decorative pies and I like how it bakes with the butter for a tender, flaky shortbread like crust for today's cookies.

Tea Pairings

You can't have pie cookies without something warm to accompany it. Today's choice is the Organic Berry Tea Blend from Mark T. Wendell. This delightful loose leaf blench combines organic black tea with sweet raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry pieces. When brewed it yields a crisp, fruity cup that pairs beautifully with today's dessert. I must also add that it just smells absolutely fabulous. It is truly a cozy cup.

Another fall favorite of mine recently has been the Pearl Jasmine Tea. This is a rare tea that is produced by hand rolling green tea buds and silvery tips into a tight, pearl shape. It is then scented repeatedly with jasmine, creating a wonderfully fragrant bouquet. Upon brewing, each pearl unfurls to show the tender tea leaves, which is so elegant.

**Don't forget that today and always, you can get 15% off any Mark T. Wendell order of $50 or more when you use the code LivingtheGourmet at checkout. So, be sure to stock up this fall season with some of their beautiful seasonal blends!

Apple Pie Cookies

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5 from 15 reviews

Author: Living the Gourmet
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 16 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust:

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons shortening
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
*1/3 cup ice water

Filling:

4 small honeycrisp apples- peeled, cored, and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
*Cinnamon Sugar or Turbinado sugar for topping

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Instructions

In the bowl of your food processor, blend flour, confectioner's sugar, salt, shortening, and butter into a sandy consistency. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time until a soft, pliable dough has come together. I used about 1/3 cup ice water but adjust if necessary. If the dough is still a little dry, add another tablespoon of ice water. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in clingfilm, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, toss together chopped apples, lemon juice, spices, and both sugars. Set aside.
In a medium-sized pan over medium high heat, melt down butter. Add the apple mixture and cook down for about 10-15 minutes, until all the juices have released and the apples are slightly tender.
In a small bowl, make a slurry by whisking together cornstarch and water. Add the slurry to the apple mixture and stir to mix through the juice. Keeping cooking for an additional 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened completely. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Turn the prepared dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough out into about ¼-inch thick. Using a large cookie cutter, cut the cookie rounds out of the pie dough. Repeat this process with the scraps.
Place the cookie rounds on a lined baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoons pie filling in the center of each round.
With the remaining half of pie dough, make the lattice strips. Roll out the dough again into ¼-inch thick. If you have ravioli cutter you can give the lattice a ribbed edge, but a paring knife or pizza cutter will do. Lattice each cookie. This recipe yields about 16 pie cookies.
Finally, brush each pie cookie with cream and sprinkle with either cinnamon sugar or turbinado sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes depending on the temperature of your oven. The pies will be golden and the filling will be bubbling once they are done. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
If you desire, dust with some confectioner's sugar before serving. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American