Caramel Appledoodles

I'm starting this post with a warning: these cookies are incredibly addicting. 

With that said, it's no secret in our house that snickerdoodles are one of Matt's favorite cookies whereas I can take them or leave them.  I will admit though, that I love the smell of snickerdoodles, especially when they are baking, and there is definitely something about snickerdoodles that just say "fall/winter" and "holidays".  That's why I was really excited when I saw this idea for Caramel Appledoodles-they are snickerdoodles turned up a notch with the addition of caramel and apples.

These cookies were beyond a hit in our house-to say we both loved them would be a huge understatement.  They are perfectly soft and chewy and stayed that way for days. They also manage to continue to smell amazing-like I said, they are really addicting, and I guarantee that if you open the container they are stored in, you won't be able to just eat one!

Just a word of warning-due to the caramel and the apple pieces in them, they tend to spread pretty unevenly-so they aren't the prettiest cookie out there-but they taste amazing-isn't that all that counts?

I think this is the perfect holiday cookie-they are easy to make and will disappear quickly!  Thank you again to Brenda at Meal Planning Magic for organizing this 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog hop!

Caramel Appledoodles
Makes about 3-4 dozen

1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
1 cup soft caramels, chopped into small pieces (about 15-20 caramels)

Cinnamon Sugar For rolling:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars.  Add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated.

In another bowl, mix together the flours, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and stir until combined. Fold in apples and caramel bits. Chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet (or a few) with parchment paper.

Mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Form the cookie dough into balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.

Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the rolling sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the balls slightly.  Recoat the bottom of the glass in the rolling mixture as necessary

Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating the pan once to ensure even baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container. 

Source: Seen on PreventionRD, The Jey of Cooking and Gimme Some Oven