Apple Oatmeal Cookies with Cinnamon Caramel

A fall variation on chewy oatmeal cookies, filled with par-dehydrated apple pieces and topped with a drizzle of cinnamon-infused caramel.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 1 5

Servings 32 cookies

Calories 116kcal

Preheat the oven to 200°F with a rack in the center, and line a baking sheet will aluminum foil.
Spread out the diced apples on the pan in a single layer. Bake for 1 ½-2 hours, using a wooden spoon to prop open the oven door slightly. Stir every half hour.
When done, the apples will appear slightly browned and shrunken and feel somewhat spongy, but not wet. Set the dried apples aside to cool while you prepare the cookie dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on low speed. Add in the egg and bourbon, mixing until combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, spices, baking soda, and salt until mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer, in four batches, fully incorporating each batch at low speed, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Use a spoon or cookie scoop to place balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. These can be close together, but not touching, and they should all fit on one sheet. Refrigerate all the cookie dough balls for half an hour. Preheat the oven towards the end of the chilling time to 375°F.
Once chilled, transfer 8 of the dough balls at a time to a new baking sheet* lined with parchment paper, about 1-2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have flattened out somewhat, but still appear soft. Cool for 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat for the rest of the cookies.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the corn syrup and water, stirring gently until it is fully mixed in and begin to boil.
Once bubbling, stop stirring and begin checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Heat until the mixture begins to change color to a light golden, and the temperature reads 330-335°F.
Immediately turn off the heat and add in both the cream and butter. Be careful, because the caramel will bubble and seize up when you do this. Stir to combine until it is smooth and golden brown. Stir in the cinnamon until fully combined. Then transfer the caramel to a jar or other container.
Place the cooled cookies close together on a wire rack over a sheet of parchment paper. Use a spoon to drizzle the warm caramel over cookies. Let the drizzled cookies cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or storing.

The bourbon or whiskey in the cookie dough can easily be replaced with vanilla extract, or another extract or liquor of your choice. I would not suggest using something sugary, like a flavored syrup or liqueur.
*Baking Sheets: If you only have a single baking sheet, you can carefully slide the parchment paper with all the dough balls off the sheet onto a flat surface. Then line that same sheet with new parchment for baking.
Make Ahead tips:
- The unbaked cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature until the dough balls are soft enough that you could shape them, but still feel cool to the touch.
- Baked cookies with or without caramel drizzle can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days, or tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw to room temperature before serving. Separate drizzled cookies with parchment paper if stacking.
- The caramel sauce can be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Warm in the microwave and stir until it reaches a drizzling consistency. Then drizzle over room temperature cookies.
Variation: If you prefer traditional caramel, simply leave out the cinnamon when making the caramel. After drizzling over the cookies, optionally top each with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.