Apple and Maple Cookies

This recipe originates from one in the Great British Bake off cookbook (sticky maple and apple tray bake). It is absolutely divine! Recently I was looking at that recipe thinking,
"hmmmm should I make this again?" but then I saw a recipe for cookies in the latest Good Food magazine and that made me think again. I really wanted cookies... So I use the maple and apple flavours with the cookie recipe.

The cookies themselves just have apples in them and it is the icing which is used to stick them together that gives them the maple flavour, much like the tray bake where the icing is the only maple flavoured component.

Before I made them I was a little worried about whether or not apples would actually work in cookies and I can confirm that they do! But first you must cube your peeled and cored apples then sauté them in butter and brown sugar. This gives them a lovely butterscotch-y coating and cookies them through a little, taking away the bite that raw apples have. This means that when your cookies are finished the apples are delicious and soft just adding little sprinkles of extra flavour and texture throughout the cookie.

My only complaint would be that the icing needs to go in the fridge if you are keeping them, but generally I would say try and eat them all on the same day as baking. What am I saying!? "Try and eat them on the same day" I'm sure you'll have no issues!

Hope your all having a nice week? On the plus side its half way to the weekend! *Woop woop*

Much Love
Alex-Rose xxx


Maple and Apple Cookies
Ingredients:

• 3/4 Granny Smith Apples
• 225g Granulated Sugar
• 280g Soft Light Brown sugar, plus 2 tblsp for the apples
• 250g Butter, plus 2 tblsp for the apples
• 2 Eggs
• 450g Plain Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder

Method:

Start by peeling and chopping your apple then put into a hot pa with 2 tbsp of butter and the same of brown sugar. Sauté until they are soft and all the sugar and butter is melted. Set these aside to cool.

In a large bowl beat the sugars and the butter until smooth then slowly add the egg. It is at the point you should add your apples, try to avoid getting too much excess liquid with them. Mix until the apples are evenly distributed then sieve in the flour and baking powder. Gently mix a little until it starts to come together then use your hands to bring it into a soft dough. If your dough ids too soft, or in fact not a dough at all, then add some more (this time self raising) flour until it does so.

Split the dough into to halves then wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Once the time is up, pre-heat your oven to 170c and unwrap your dough. Flour a surface and rolling pin then gently knead the dough a little on the floured surface before rolling out to about 1.5cm thick. Use a cutter and cut out circles from the dough before placing onto a lined baking tray and into the oven for 18 minutes. They are done when they are just golden round the edge. Leave them to cool on the tray before removing.

To make the icing:

• 75g butter
• 50g light brown sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  
• 175g cream cheese

Method:

In a bowl cream the sugar with the butter untill smooth then add the maple syrup. Beat again until smooth before finally gently mix in the cream cheese.

Spread the icing between two bscuits and enjoy!