Swiss Diamond is sponsoring today’s post. In exchange for sharing this unique #AppleWeek recipe, I received a 2.65-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Round Casserole. All thoughts, ideas, recipes, pictures, and general silliness contained within this post are solely my own and not necessarily that of the sponsor. CLICK HERE to learn more about Swiss Diamond or CLICK HERE to enter the amazing #AppleWeek Giveaway.
What’s better than a cookie? A buttery cookie, filled with cinnamon caramel apple sauce, topped with sweet oatmeal streusel topping, and then drizzled with more cinnamon caramel apple sauce. Are you drooling yet? I know I am. Really, this is simply one thumbprint cookie you just have to make this fall.
Years ago, I was given a treasured thumbprint cookie recipe from a family friend, who had it passed on to her by yet another friend of the family. I’m sad to say that since then, I’ve forgotten that original recipe because I’ve tweaked it so absolutely freaking much. Not that it wasn’t completely amazing to begin with, I simply have a habit of taking a recipe and making it my own. Basically, I get bored pretty easily. Anyway, I’m sure that original cookie recipe is somewhere stashed in a recipe box, cookbook, or under a pile of miscellaneous cooking magazines, however, I doubt I’ll ever find it. Oh well, I guess it doesn’t seem to matter all that much now anyway, does it? I mean, honestly, I keep using the same basic dough recipe to make every single thumbprint cookie I ever develop, and if I do say so myself, I think it’s working for me. These cookies are evidence.
Topped with a crumbly streusel topping, and then drizzled with caramel, these lil’ apple-packed thumbprint cookies are pretty much the most heavenly thing you’ve ever tasted. Imagine apple crisp shoved inside of a rich butter cookie. That’s what we’re talking about here guys, pure ooey-gooey apple-packed crumbly oat buttery cookie heaven. I seriously doubt that family friend ever would have dreamed about her recipe being tweaked to become these lil’ beauties, however, I’d like to think she’d eat one or two, smile, and then sigh in appreciation as she savored each bite. Perhaps if I’m really lucky, this recipe will one day be passed down to someone and become just as cherished as her recipe is cherished by me. Now, wouldn’t that be something?
Ingredients:
Cookie Filling:
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Apple, Peeled, Cored, & Very Finely Diced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
Cookie Dough:
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Streusel Topping:
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Quick Cooking Oats
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
Directions:
Cookie Filling:
- Place the brown sugar, cream, butter, vinegar, salt, cinnamon, and diced apple into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil stirring constantly. Decrease the heat to low and then continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until thickened.
- Remove the filling from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
- Set aside to cool.
Cookie Dough:
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- On low speed, slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time; mix until just incorporated.
- Bring the dough together with your hands into a ball, place it back into the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and then place them at least an inch apart on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press an indentation into the center of each ball.
- Fill the indentation of each thumbprint cookie with some of the cookie filling.
Streusel Topping:
- Add the brown sugar, oats, flour, and salt to a small bowl. Stir together with the tines of a fork to combine.
- Add the melted butter and stir again until well combined.
- Sprinkle the topping over the filled thumbprint cookies and bake for 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to rest for 3 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
- Drizzle the cookies with any remaining cookie filling.
Suggestions:
- Make sure to stir the cooking filling constantly while you are cooking it to prevent it from burning.
- Refrigerating the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking it, helps the thumbprint cookies keep their shape a little better when baking.
- Don’t be afraid to let a little bit of the cookie filling overflow the indentation you make in each thumbprint cookie. It helps to create a lovely chewy layer on the bottom of each cookie. Make sure to wipe down the Silpat with a damp paper towel between each batch of cookies you bake or line the baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper. This will prevent any burnt bits on the bottom of your thumbprint cookies.
- This recipe will yield approximately 18 to 24 cookies. The amount may vary depending on how big you roll your cookie dough.
Improvements:
- Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans or walnuts before baking.
- Serve alongside this Buttermilk Double Vanilla Ice Cream or this Cinnamon Caramel Apple Frozen Custard.
- CLICK HERE to check out all of our past cookie recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Apple, Peeled, Cored, & Very Finely Diced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Quick Cooking Oats
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
Directions:
- Place the brown sugar, cream, butter, vinegar, salt, cinnamon, and diced apple into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil stirring constantly. Decrease the heat to low and then continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until thickened.
- Remove the filling from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
- Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- On low speed, slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time; mix until just incorporated.
- Bring the dough together with your hands into a ball, place it back into the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and then place them at least an inch apart on a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press an indentation into the center of each ball.
- Fill the indentation of each thumbprint cookie with some of the cookie filling.
- Add the brown sugar, oats, flour, and salt to a small bowl. Stir together with the tines of a fork to combine.
- Add the melted butter and stir again until well combined.
- Sprinkle the topping over the filled thumbprint cookies and bake for 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to rest for 3 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
- Drizzle the cookies with any remaining cookie filling.
PIN THIS RECIPE
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.
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Make sure to check out all of the other great #AppleWeek recipes below.
- Apple, Bacon and Caramelized Onion Pizza by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Apple Bakewell Tart by Books n’ Cooks
- Apple Cider Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw by Simple and Savory
- Apple Cinnamon Baklava by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Apple Cream Pie with Oatmeal Crust by Savory Moments
- Easy Apple Crisp Pie with Oats by The Anthony Kitchen
- Apple Gingerbread Cakelets by The Monday Box
- Apple Oatmeal Muffins by House of Nash Eats
- Apple Pie Crepes by The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Apple Pie Moonshine by Cookaholic Wife
- Apple Snack Cake by Caroline’s Cooking
- Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash by Palatable Pastime
- Baked Apple Donuts with Oatmeal Crumble Topping by Girl Abroad
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Doughnuts by Jonesin’ For Taste
- Braised Chicken with Apples by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Buttery Apple Streusel Thumbprint Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Caramel Apple Stuffed Waffles by 4 Sons R Us
- Caramel Apple Cider Vodka Slush Cocktail by Everyday Eileen
- Caramel Drizzled Apple Pie Egg Rolls by The Freshman Cook
- Chai Apple Multigrain Pancakes by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Chai-Spiced Baked Apple Oatmeal by The Redhead Baker
- Crumbly Apple Cranberry Casserole by Who Needs a Cape?
- Easy Apple Dumplings by Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
- Gingered Apple Trifles by Culinary Adventures With Camilla
- Individual Apple Croissant Bread Pudding by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Instant Pot Applesauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Marlborough Apple Custard Pie by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Maple Apple Crisp by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Overnight Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal by Tip Garden
- Prairie Apple Crunch by Family Around the Table
- Ricotta Tart with Apples and Prosciutto by Cooking with Carlee
- Shaved Apple Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Spiced Apple Cider Charlotte Cake by Love and Confections
- Vegan Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls by The Baking Fairy
