Caramel Stuffed Apple Spiced Cookies

Last week my friends came over to my house for dinner and afterward we made these cookies. When I first saw the recipe I thought it would be fun to make because it seemed to reflect fall flavors with the apple, cinnamon, caramel combination. I also had an ulterior motive in picking this particular recipe because I knew that my cousin was going to be coming to town and he absolutely loves caramel, therefore I wanted to make something that I could bring to his house when I saw him.

Funny enough my mom, who is not much of a cookie lover, ended up eating the most cookies out of anyone. She said that the texture and flavor reminded her of a type of cookie she used to eat when she was little and asked me to make them again sometime soon, a request I will be sure to follow given her enthusiasm. Overall I would rate the evening and the recipe a success; the cookies ended up being very easy to make and my friends and I had a great time catching up with one another. In fact we got so caught up in our conversation that we forgot to check on the first batch and accidentally left them in a little too long, leading to slightly crispy and burnt bottoms. However the second batch turned out perfect and some people who tried the cookies said that they actually preferred the slightly burnt ones...go figure.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Spiced Cookies

• 1 cup (8 tbsp) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz or 230 g) Spiced Apple Cider drink mix (can be found near the hot chocolate mixes)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 bag  (12 oz or 336 g) caramel soft chews

1. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. 
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixture until evenly incorporated and a dough forms.
5. To make it easier to scoop, refrigerate the dough for an hour, though this step can be skipped if you're in a hurry.
6. Scoop out cookie dough into 2" balls. Flatten the ball slightly in the palm of your hand then press an unwrapped caramel into the center. Seal the dough around it, covering the caramel completely.
7. Place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper about 2" apart. Give them plenty of room because they will spread a lot. 
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cookies are very lightly browned. If using multiple trays, rotate halfway through to ensure even baking. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking trays before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.