Recently, I’ve been inundated with a lifetime supply of apples. Not only do we buy them every weekend at the farmer’s market, people are giving them to us left, right and centre and there is also a scraggly little tree in our new backyard sporting several dozen tiny, hard-as-rock mystery apples. After piling them all up on the countertop, I realized there was no way around it, I had to bake something. Sure, I could make most of it into my famous apple butter, which I will eventually, but I need something a little fancier. Something to bring out that fall flavour, and entice the mister into digging right in there with me. He’s more of a salty flavours kind of guy, so it takes a pretty outrageous dessert to strike his fancy.
We’ve all seen Carrot cake flavoured everything, from ice cream to yogurt and cookies to muffins, etc. But have you ever seen Apple Cake cookies? That’s what I thought.
The creative juices were flowing the other night, in the Guilty Kitchen! What’s a delicious fall inspired cake without cream cheese frosting to go with it? And so, Brown Butter Spiced Apple Cake Sandwich Cookies were born! Confusing title? I know, but what else could describe these wonderful little spicy bombs of moist apple goodness, smothered in a light cream cheese frosting? Delicious and so simple. The brown butter really brings out the flavours and ties the whole thing together (and just plain and simple makes everything better), so don’t leave it out!
Brown Butter Apple Spice Cookies
Yield: 6 sandwich cookies or 12 plain cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup, granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 large apples, peeled, cored and shredded or diced
3/4 cup toasted pecan pieces **1. In small saucepan on medium high heat, melt butter. Swirl (do not stir!) the butter every so often, until it becomes a darker shade and begins to get a bit foamy. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In large bowl, stir together sugars and all other dry ingredients.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla. Slowly add butter to egg mixture while whisking.
4. Stir egg/butter mix into dry ingredients. Stir in apple and pecans.
5. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or over night.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out, level off and place cake batter 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking tray.
7. Bake in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.** To toast pecans: Chop pecan halves into small pieces (about 5mm or 1/8″). Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes at 425°F OR In a small, heavy bottomed pan set to high heat, swirl nuts for about 5 minutes or until browned.
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz Cream Cheese (Light okay, no fat not okay), room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla1. Whisk together until thick and completely combined. Cover and chill until needed.
To assemble your Cookie Sandwiches, simply put a dollop of chilled frosting onto a chilled cookie and sandwich another cookie right on top. Divine!
As we didn’t want to polish off what is essentially a small cake with frosting, we decided to put the rest of the finished sandwiches in the freezer.
Now I know it’s starting to get cold out and who wants frozen treats? I do. Sitting next to the fire eating these is simply heaven. Please do this one thing for me. Don’t eat them all at once, okay? Have some will power and put them in the freezer long enough to be frozen. You will not regret it, I promise.
Yummy ! Thank you for sharing. Cheers !
.-= sizzlechef´s last blog ..Tom Yam Egg Noodles Soup =-.
Wow – your recipes never cease to amaze me. These look phenomenal! Perfect for fall.
.-= Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction´s last blog ..Buffalo Chicken Shepherd’s Pie =-.
What a compliment. Thanks Jen!
What an innovative idea! These look so good!
.-= Cookin’ Canuck´s last blog ..Just for Fun: Cake Decorating =-.
Wow, so awesome! It will be hard for me to put something like this away in the freezer, I’m warning you now! I bet I can make these with pears. I have pears coming out of my ears.
Great cookie recipe! I agree-I love to put cookies and bars (and pecan pies) in the freezer. Been doing it since I was a kid and mother put things in a freezer in the basement. I went down there and snuck goodies out all the time.
These look sooo delicious! Maybe you can also try swapping out the cream cheese with ice cream and serve as as an apple ice cream sandwich!
.-= Experimental Culinary Pursuits´s last blog ..Fabulously Flavorful Falafel Casserole with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce =-.
OMG, the cookies look so yummy in the pics!
.-= Miriam/The Winter Guest´s last blog ..Shabby almond tart =-.
All good suggestions and Alta, I think Pears would be awesome!
WOW — those look AMAZING!!!
.-= CookiePie´s last blog ..Raised waffles with sauteed chai-spiced apples =-.
I think these look delicious. Great idea and I will be incorporating that right into my Thanksgiving this year, so thanks for the recipe!
Oh my gawwwwwwd… I just had my fillings filled, so I’m am gonna be ALL over these this weekend! I’m not a chocolate girl, (‘cept white, but I’m not going down the whole “It’s not technically chocolate road” :-)” so bring on the fruit desserts please!!! Brown butter anything intrigues me and my tastebuds – thanks Mrs. Guilty Kitchen… I thank you!!
If I’ve ever binged in the kitchen- its on cream cheese frosting.
Your recipe looks pretty much exactly what mine looks like too, so I know its good!
Apples- very creative, and these look absolutely divine. YUM!!
Bekah: This is almost embarassing, but I’ve actually made myself ill eating cream cheese frosting. I have no will power.
Nadia: You’re so welcome!
Oh wow! These look amazing and the pictures are beautiful!!
.-= Diana @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa´s last blog ..Farm Crawl 2009 =-.
Oh but now I know what I am baking this weekend. These look and sound amazing and I am always looking for just a little twist on recipes and this is new and exciting. I know my taste buds are gong to be thanking you for this combo.
Joyce
You are going to love these little goodies Joyce…you won’t regret it. Enjoy!
Pingback: Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting (WFMW) | my kitchen addiction
Pingback: Back to Basics: Culinary Fundamentals (Butter) Recipe | Guilty Kitchen
How large of a scoop for cookies? How many sandwiches does this recipe make?
1 1/2 oz is fine for the scoop, this recipe makes about 12 cookies.
Pingback: How to Make Brown Sugar Recipe | Guilty Kitchen
Pingback: Christmas Baking: Roundup Recipe | Guilty Kitchen
Pingback: Brown Butter Caramel Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting Recipe | Guilty Kitchen
Pingback: Sweet by janetly - Pearltrees
I just got a bunch of Rome apples and found this searching online for recipes and decided to try it out. I have to say they are very yummy and I want to see your ice cream scoop because mine made double what yours did 24 cookies or 12 sandwiches. They cooked for the same amount of time though, and spread to the size of the oatmeal sandwich cookies you can buy in the store, a bit thicker though. I also made your apple butter but I haven’t tried it out yet, will leave a comment when I do though.
Pingback: spiced apple cake cookie’wiches {with browned butter} | De La Casa
Pingback: Tallow Roasted Squash and Onions {Plus a Review and Giveaway!} - Guilty Kitchen
Pingback: Doughnut FRYday - Glazed Doughnuts
Pingback: spiced apple cake cookie’wiches {with browned butter} | De La Casa
Elizabeth! I’m not sure if you still receive comments on this blog, but your old pal Michael Graham and I made these for our son Conrad’s first birthday party FIFTEEN years ago and everyone was OBSESSED. Michael isn’t with us anymore, sadly, but I wanted to make these again for Conrad’s 16th birthday in a couple of weeks and was so excited I could easily find your recipe again! ❤️ Hope you and your family are doing well.