\\\\\\\'

The Batter Thickens

A food blog balancing sweet treats & healthy eats.

Apple Butter Peanut Butter Cookies

By

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

As I’m doing a string of apple butter posts right now, I took a look on the blog to see what other recipes we had using apple butter. I found this whoopie pie recipe Molly posted, which is accidentally pretty similar to these! But that was back when Molly was posting from college, so I never actually got to try these. Otherwise I surely would have remembered them. She also mentioned in that post how one year for my birthday, I requested we all have peanut butter apple butter sandwiches for dinner. Thank you to my mom for making my wishes come true! And apologies to my family if they were ever tired of my peanut butter apple butter obsession then. Because it’s still going on. I’ve just turned it into Apple Butter Peanut Butter Cookies now.

When you bake a lot, like I do, you have a different sort of baseline for a really good dessert. I rarely bake something that’s a total flop, but it takes a bit more for me to be truly “WOW”-ed by a bake.

But then sometimes I’ll take a bite of something I’ve made, and think, “Oh yeah, I’m good.” Like these. These are really delicious. I’m amazed it took me this long to put the idea together.

So this success is just spurring me on on my quest to put apple butter in everything. Specifically, apple butter peanut butter in everything. I’ve had an idea for an Apple Butter Peanut Butter Cake (with cinnamon swirl) for a while, but I’ve just waiting for a chance to make it. But that doesn’t have to stop me from making apple butter peanut butter… everything else. Blondies? Brownies? Maybe a cinnamon roll? More savory?

When I was at Cub checking out with my apple butter, the lady working the self-checkout had to help me with an item, and she pointed to my apple butter and said “That stuff’s delicious!” (And I concurred, of course.) So my previous comments about being an apple butter evangelist may not even be necessary. The apple butter lovers are all around us. Among us. We’re just too quiet. So I am endeavoring to be more vocal. In the form of baking as much as I can with apple butter.

Print

Apple Butter Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Author: Audrey
Print

Ingredients

For the apple butter cookies:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp glucose
  • 1/4 cup apple butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/3 cups milk powder
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the peanut butter frosting:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Make the cookies:

  1. Combine the butter, sugar and glucose in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, add in the apple butter and vanilla and beat for 7-8 minutes.
  2. Reduce mixer speed to low and add in the flour, milk powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix just until the dough comes together – no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Using a 2 3/4 oz. ice cream scoop (1/3 cup measure) portion out the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet – you should get 15-20 large balls of dough. Pat the tops of the cookie balls flat – wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week. Do not bake the cookies from room temp – they will not bake properly!
  4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chilled dough at least 4 inches apart on the baking sheet, and press down on them a little bit, as they won’t spread during baking. Bake for 18-23 minutes. The cookies should look lightly browned on the edges (golden brown on the bottom). If they haven’t reached that color yet, leave them in a for an extra minute or two. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before frosting.

Make the frosting:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until soft and combined, about 1 minute.
  2. Add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated.
  3. Add another 2 cups sugar and the cream. Add remaining 2 cups of sugar as needed to thicken the frosting. Beat on medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  4. Frost cookies generously.

Never miss a post!