I am so very happy it’s September. My room is COLD again. I missed my room being cold. I can wear sweaters. Sip on pumpkin spice coffees. And I might be crazy, but I think the tree outside my window is starting to turn red.
When it gets cozy and autumnal outside there are a million things I want to do, but going to school is not one of them. It makes me sad to go to a giant brick building for eight hours. I go outside for lunch, but other then that I’m stuck inside knowing it’s gorgeous outside.
I’ll post an official fall post in a few weeks, with recipe lists and some nice cozy pictures. Probably somewhere around the end of this month, or maybe the start of October. It’s absolutely insane to me that October is next month. Obviously I’m thrilled, it’s my favorite month. But it’s also just crazy to think about the fact that we’re well over halfway through the year.
What I really want to do today, is take a walk outside, sip on apple cider, listen to music, read, and eat soup. But I’m forcing myself to sit down and write this post so I can get it published in time. I enjoy writing my blog posts, but sometimes it can be a little exhausting to keep up with. After I finish this up, I have about five hours of homework ahead of me. Oh happy days.
I was also supposed to get a bunch of work done on my project this weekend but I sort of lost track of time. I would’ve had plenty of time today, but in typical Orly fashion, I decided to test another recipe in addition to the one I was already filming today. It was a pretty successful recipe, but now I don’t have any down time this afternoon.
But I’m trying to focus on the highlights. Highlight number one: I made homemade pumpkin coffee creamer today (with coconut milk). Highlight number two: today was my first day listening to my fall playlist. And highlight number three: I made a tasty butternut squash and mushroom omelette for breakfast this morning.
Ok I think that’s enough about me. It’s cookie time.
So these cookies were modeled after an apple cider donut. I’ve always loved apple cider donuts, as any sane person does. But I also always find that don’t have that strong a taste of apples. These cookies are not only easier than donuts, but they have more apple flavor packed into them.
Describe these Cookies to Me
Taste: These cookies have a really nostalgic taste to me. They taste like something that your grandma would make, ya know? They really have more of an apple cider taste than apple cider donuts typically do, and a little nuttiness from the brown butter. The brown sugar, molasses, and cinnamon swirl these with cozy and warming notes that compliment the apple perfectly.
Texture: These cookies are a texture dream, with a crisp sugared outside, and a soft and flavorful inside. They have a little chew, but they aren’t super thin and chewy like some cookies.
Ease: These have two extra steps that make them take a little more time than some cookie recipes, but it’s still a no mixer recipe that can be done in under two hours. Just make sure you leave time to reduce the apple cider and brown the butter because those steps are key to a perfect cookie.
How do We Put Apple Cider in Cookies?
Like apple cider donuts, these cookies use reduced apple cider. Reducing apple cider just means cooking it down a little. This means we can pack the concentrated flavor of 3/4 cup of apple cider in the volume of around 1/2 cup of cider. And to bring out those apple flavors, we use plenty of cinnamon, brown sugar, and molasses, plus the nuttiness from the brown butter.
Apple Cider Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and let the cider simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside to cool before using in the cookies.
- in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Then, keep cooking and the butter will sizzle and foam. Eventually, you should start to see brown specks at the bottom of the pan. Let the butter brown to an amber color before removing from the heat and immediately pouring it into a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- To the brown butter, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and apple cider from earlier. Whisk until smooth and combined. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Using a spatula, fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. The dough will be very very thin and sticky, don't worry!
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. In a small bowl, toss together the sugar and cinnamon to coat the cookies in.
- Using a 2 Tablespoon sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and then toss in the cinnamon sugar. I recommend using a cookie scoop because of how sticky the dough is, but you can use your hands if you don't have one. Just be aware that it will be messy. Place the cookies on the previously prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and bang the pan on the counter a couple of times. The releases some of the air in the cookies and helps give us those crinkles. Then return to the oven for another 2-4 minutes to finish baking. Cookies should look set and a little browned on the bottom and sides. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before tossing in the cinnamon sugar again. Cookies are best eaten right away while they're still warm and gooey!
- Cookies stay fresh sealed at room temperature for up to five days.