These happened yesterday.
They happened as a result of a total impulse purchase at the grocery store last week. People, I needed these caramel bits the moment I saw them. NEEDED. Sort of like I needed a salt water taffy in every single flavor last weekend at the candy store. Then afterwards, I needed an ice cream cone. And later, I needed a green vegetable and pepto-bismol.
Please don’t tell my dentist.
I was going to use my new purchase to make some sort of interesting caramel apple creation on Halloween. But then I got sidetracked by a recent intense addiction in ancestry.com and the caramel apples never happened.
Can we talk about ancestry.com for a minute? Please? And how Adam and I spent at least ten hours on it last weekend, sitting silently side by side on my couch building competitive family trees? The only words spoken were “did you check the immigration papers?” or “I have 400 people now, how about you?”
Leave it to us to make a competitive sport out of family tree building.
It all worked out though because not only did I trace my family back to 1050 (I win, I win! just kidding I totally lost because I made an amature spelling mistake and had to wipe out six hours of research and work), but I also made these cookies instead of apples.
Just look at that golden caramel chewy goodness!!! These make me so happy. Perfect fuel for tree building, if you ask me.
Chewy Caramel Apple Chip Cookies
makes about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 apple
1 bag mini caramels (or regular sized caramels, cut up into small pieces)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and continue to beat until combined.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in another bowl.
Grate the apple with a cheese grater and squeeze out all liquid with paper towels. Add shredded apple to the flour and then add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix until combined. Then, add the caramel bits. Dough will be a little dry.
Roll small balls of dough out and bake on a lined baking sheet for 12-14 minutes. Let cookies completely before attempting to move them off the baking sheet or else they will fall apart!
Time:
30 minutes
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{ 77 comments… read them below or add one }
These look so good!
I’ve never heard of ancestry.com. What? But I have heard of that show, “who do you think you are,” where celebrities get marched around a reality-like setting, and people like Gwyneth Paltrow say, “Oh my god,” a lot during the “teaser trailer.” No, I didn’t watch it, spooning my pillow, waiting with baited breath to see if Gwyn was related to someone from the slave trade. Never.
It’s a good show, actually. There are experts etc. It’s by no means the trashy type of reality show that you seem to think it is. They take it seriously. They’re celebrities, but they are human beings who appreciate learning about their family roots.
Few cookies rival with choc chip…these are one of them!
I love caramel anything…and melted like that in cookies, nice.
Major props to you for tracing your family back to 1050. Wow! That is so cool. I can trace my family back to at least 1984
Seriously I doubt I could get very far but that is impressive you have.
I used to dump these caramels in my apple butter making it caramel apple butter. Divine!!!
Oh Lordsy, do I love me some caramel!!
Did you trace your family to Chief Richard Weber? That would have been an awesome move!
I made these recently but couldn’t find those GD caramel bits! Jellyyyy. I had to use real caramels and cut them in quarters! These look deeeelish.
Love that the caramels are already unwrapped!! Yummy.
Never heard of ancestory.com!
Oh my Jenna, you really do know the way to my heart!!! I think I’d be content with the bag of caramel bits on their own.. but the cookies… you’ve outdone yourself!
Love that the caramels are already unwrapped!! Yummy.
Never heard of ancestory.com but am going to check it out – sounds interesting
These look good.
I wanted to ask you what your current breakfasts are Jenna. I’ve always been a smoothie-morning girl, but I’ve converted to a big bowl of oatmeal with 2 whole eggs and fruit now. I used to stay away from the morning-grains, but I feel more wholesome and balanced this way now. I used to enjoy your breakfast posts.
So that’s what you do on ancestry.com, I always see the commercials and wonder what the heck it’s all about. I’ve never seen unwrapped caramel balls. I would’ve needed them too.
waaay prefer cookies to caramel apples any day!
I am also making your Bohemian Wedding Cake as a trial run for baking my best friends wedding cake – im so excited as Ive been obsessed with wanting to make the cake for like a year! I know lots of your readers have made the cake, and so if anyone has any extra tips or recommendations I would super love to hear them!
Thanks! xox
I am going to make these this weekend, I must, I’ve got a cookie craving, an apple-caramel-cookie craving now. They look so delicious!
I had no idea those caramel bits existed. I’m not sure mine would last long enough to make it into cookies. haha
I think it’s pretty funny that you two are addicted to ancestry.com. My husband’s uncle is a genealogist and is (not surprisingly) obsessed with figuring out family trees for everyone he meets.
I just bought these caramels the other day. I had no idea what I would make with them, I just had to have them!
So cool! I would have never thought of this….yum
I think I lost about a month of my life a year ago to ancestry.com. So interesting. I just wanted to know what nationality my grandfather was and it lead to so much more. Seriously love ancestry.com. Its as bad as pinterest for me.
I’ve always wanted to try ancestry.com but am too cheap to pay the registration fee. These cookies look great!
look like ooey gooey deliciousness to me!
what a fun weekend activity… i have no idea the origins of my family past a few generations back, but just may have to look into that
This is such a good idea!! I’ve seen those caramel chips and I have no idea why I never thought to do something like this. Love it. I want to make cupcakes like this!
These looks great! I am going to pass them along to my mom who is always looking for new cookies to make around the holidays!
I made caramel apple bars, and you are right! DON’T TELL YOUR DENTIST!!
Looks delicious! I love anything with caramel and apple
I have baked numerous cookies in my day – but have never tried this idea! Love it! perfect for fall too.
Um, yes. Caramel apple FTW. I will definitely be making these as soon as possible!
This is an awesome recipe, I love caramel and those caramel chips are wonderful. Beautiful cookies!
I love caramel. Those little chips look like they could be my sweet treat nemesis. I have no self control. Gorgeous cookies.
i am addicted to apples and in love with caramel apples. these are totally my next baking project!
I was thinking about leaving work a little early because I’m tired and want a nap. Now I AM leaving work early so I can bake these ASAP. WOW!!!!!!
Hahaha I got a good laugh picturing you two sitting in silence tracing back your family history for hours. I’m curious about this website though, it sounds really really interesting!
YES to these! I have a recipe like this too (using deydrated apples) And I look forward to trying this one too.
Yum!
Cookies with apples?! You just named two of my fav foods. Loving these retro recipes Jenna!
Thank you for this – I adore this idea. Making these ASAP.
Looks so delicious! I also love your ancestry.com competition. Too cute.
Oh my word- these look sensational!
They would be a perfect addition to my Thanksgiving Day dessert spread. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Brilliant! This is the perfect Fall cookie.
oh wow!
I think my entire Football Sunday menu is going to come from your blog: white chicken chili, butter rolls and these cookies!
Oh wow – these look amazing!!
I’ve actually been looking for a recipe for caramel apple cookies that wasn’t too complicated!!! I’m not good enough with baking science to make it up myself.
These look delish! Kraft is a total enabler by making unwrapped caramels. Too much for caramel addicts!
I could have easily downed those cookies in a heartbeat! And the ancestry.com competition?! Too cute
What an awesome idea! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen apple cookies before!
Your cookies look so soft and yummy! I LOVE the caramel bits. They can be hard to find, but you can buy them on Amazon. I make the most amazing caramel brownies with them.
Oooh no… I’m going to have to make these now. And that means I’m going to have to eat a lot of them. Thanks a lot!
I made these tonight. Besides cutting the caramels up these came together really quickly. They are AMAZING. The spice is perfect, the caramel is gooey and chewy. They are crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. Home run. Thank you!
Oooh, America and its amazing candy ingredients and treats! I’m envious.
And you want to talk ancestry? I’m totally a convict, for serious. WOOT!
These sound delicious!
hi Jenna,
I always wonder about links on all the food blogs I read,…
Yours happened to catch my eye today-
my question is do you get compensation of some sort
from ancestry.com for linking to them? I am thinking of starting a
blog and am curious what the rules are for bloggers to disclose any
type of compensation re getting link hits or a mention?
Thanks!
These days, it is an accepted rule that you MUST disclose if you were compensated or given free items, etc. for your blog, am I right?
Ummm I definitely do NOT. That never even crossed my mind? I just linked to it because that was what we were working on and I wanted to tell you about it. I have no earthly idea if they even offer any sort of affiliate link program.
Thanks Jenna.
Hope I did not offend in any way, it was a more of a question
on how these links work.
I guess it sounds like some links for bloggers sometimes
do have financial or compensation related to them,
but some (as this one on yours) do not.
I guess the only way a reader knows on any blog is
by the disclosure? (I think I won’t bother with
links-sounds too much hassle for me if I started a blog
Thanks both Francesca and Jenna-I think I understand
what you both are saying!
I had the same relationship with these caramel bits…need! need! And, I absolutely love what you’ve done with them
These cookies look perfect!
Would that be similar to an “amateur” spelling mistake?
))
These look radically fantastical.
Bahahaha about the ancestry.com bit!!!
Totally charming.
Someone who has never heard of ancestry.com??? They advertise it on TV all the time these days, although years ago I would randomly get ancestry.com results when I googled my own name or other family members. I thought it was kind of like Google, Facebook, and Twitter… NO ONE (whether they use it or not) would not have heard of it.
But I digress…. DELICIOUS-looking cookies. I like that they seem to be somewhat apple-flavored, but primarily vehicles for caramel consumption.
Oh, P.S., I think that Jenna has been very forthcoming about any compensation received (and she used to accept more free stuff, but scaled back.) But, I would not say that anyone “MUST” disclose compensation. It’s a blog for heaven’s sake. While some blogs like Jenna’s end up being very popular and becoming more of a business, blogs start out as essentially personal websites and although there may be certain ethical standards bloggers choose to follow, there are certainly no actual “rules.”
No, there definitely are FTC rules about disclosure on blogs! Obviously this has nothing to do with this post, just wanted to clarify that for people thinking of blogging.
Also, I had definitely never heard about ancestry.com. So thanks Jenna! Very fun.
I need to find some of those now. Can you say brownies, cake and cookies? So many possibilities await!
YUM. I have to make these for my sister, she loves caramel!
This is such a great recipe! I like how you’ve incorporated caramel and apples into the cookie, neat idea! I think you’ll really love my apple spiced muffins.. check out my recipe here: http://bit.ly/applespicemuffins
Thanks!
Wrong post of course, but I just wanted to let you know I made your crock pot lentil sweet potato soup…amazing!!
OMG. these are crazy good! i added in about 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips. They’re almost too good to share! Thanks for the great recipe
Yes! I’ve been looking for a fall-friendly treat recipe to bring to my friends annual ‘Practice Thanksgiving’ celebration next weekend and I do believe I’ve stumbled upon a winner. These look fabulous!
I’m shocked so many people haven’t heard of ancestry.com. Maybe it’s because I’m constantly seeing commercials for it, it feels like it’s everywhere! I’ve wanted to join for years, but just can’t justify the cost.
Ancestry.com is amazing! Not only was I able to find my great-grandma’s page in the Ellis Island book, I was also able to find the name of the boat she came from Russia on!
I’ve seen the caramel bits before but never had an idea what I would do with them. These sound too great. Going to have to buy some next time!
Thanks for the great recipe, Jenna. I made these this weekend and got so many compliments! I couldn’t find the caramel chips so I chopped up a chocolate bar that had caramel in the middle – great decision!
Ok, add these to the dessert menu at my house for Thanksgiving this year! Yumm.
I have never commented on your blog before but I read it all the time. I just have to say I made these cookies today for a baking exchange and they are amazing. Not only do they taste delicious but my kitchen smells AMAZING!! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
This might be a silly question, but should the apple be peeled before grating?
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were great.
Thanks
Kevin
HalfTRIing.blogspot.com
It’s funny because my mom just bought the same bag of caramel bits because they “just looked too good!” So she asked me to find some recipe to make with them. When I found this recipe she got so excited! Thanks so much for the great idea! Can’t wait to try them myself!
Jenna I love your blog and have been waiting for the perfect moment to make these. I attempted to do sotonight however I had a little baking FAIL and forgot one important ingredient, the egg. Hahah! Now that I know what I screwed up I look forward to making them again
Just took these out of the oven. I am hopefully bringing them to book club if I don’t eat them ALL before 7:30. They are so easy and amazing! Thanks for sharing!
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