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–+ servings
Apple pie cookies have all the joy and delicious cosiness of this homely comfort food, but in a fun cookie instead! Buttery shortcrust pastry, irresistible apple pie filling and a pretty lattice top make these a delight to make and enjoy! Recipe by movers and bakers
5 from 1 vote

Apple Pie Cookies

My Apple Pie Cookies combine the flaky, buttery goodness of a classic lattice apple pie with the convenience of a cookie. Featuring a homemade Bramley apple filling enriched with muscovado sugar and encased in sweet shortcrust pastry, they are the perfect autumnal dessert for parties and bake sales!
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 250 g (1½ cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 60 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 125 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 2 large eggs, yolks only
  • 2-4 tbsp ice (ie very very cold!) water

For the apple pie filling

  • 45 g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) unsalted butter
  • 2 Bramley (or other cooking) apples, peeled, cored and diced
  • 90 g (½ cup) muscovado sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • demerara sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

For the pastry

  • First make the pastry. In a food processor or a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and sugar. Add in the cubes of cold butter and cut or blend in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Ensure no large chunks of unblended butter remain or it will speckle the pastry when it is rolled out. Tip in the egg yolks and blend again until just combined. Add in the ice water a little at a time until the pastry comes together in clumps.
  • Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and gather it together. Squeeze to bring it together, but try to avoid kneading and working it too much or the pastry will be tough. Divide the pastry dough into two equal parts and flatten into discs. Wrap each disc tightly in cling film then pop in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can freeze the dough for another day, if you wish.

Apple pie filling

  • Once the dough is made and chilling, time to make the apple pie filling. Start by melting the butter on a medium heat in a saucepan. Tip in the apples and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add in the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring and cooking 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is starting to thicken.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour and water to a smooth slurry. Pour this mixture into the saucepan with the apple pie filling mixture and cook until the filling is thick and silky. Remove from the heat and leave the filling to cool completely before using.

Make the apple pie cookies

  • Line a couple of baking trays with some parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
  • Roll out the chilled pastry dough to about 3-5mm thickness. Stamp out twelve circles from the dough using a 3¼" cutter, squeezing together and re-rolling as required. Place the rounds on the prepared baking trays, leaving a little space between them.
  • Place about a tablespoon of apple pie filling in the middle of each round, spreading out evenly but leaving a ½" gap around the edge of the pastry circle.
  • Roll the remaining pastry out again to 3-4mm thickness, then cut out long strips of pastry ½" wide. Use these strips to weave a lattice over each cookie before crimping the edges with a fork. Using the same round cutter used earlier to tidy up the edges for a clean round finish to the cookies.
  • Sprinkle the top of each apple pie cookie with some demerara sugar for additional texture and finish, if you wish.
  • Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the edges are turning golden. Place the tray on a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely before devouring. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • As an exception to most baking, make sure to use ingredients as cold as possible when making pastry: so cubed butter straight from the fridge and ice cold water. Keeping pastry cold helps avoid overworking the gluten and keep it relaxed to avoid shrinkage during baking.
  • Handle the pastry dough as little as possible throughout making. This is especially important when bringing it together, as overworking the gluten will lead to tough pastry.
  • Substitute the muscovado sugar in the apple pie filling for caster sugar or brown sugar if you wish. I love the molasses flavour, so this was my choice in this recipe!
  • Make sure the apple pie filling is completely cool before assembling the cookies. If it is still warm, it will melt the butter in the pastry and the whole cookie will loose its shape.
  • It is easiest to assemble the cookies on the prepared baking sheet as they can be difficult to transfer. If you still prefer assembling it in a separate space, use a flat spatula to support the pastry fully across the base of the cookie.
  • Leave the cookies to cool completely on the baking tray to ensure they have firmed up and will not collapse when moved.
  • If you are short on time, you can use frozen/shop bought pastry dough and shop bought apple pie filling. I will say though, all the different components are super easy to make and you will DEFINITELY taste the difference if you take the time to make each of these from scratch.
    • Author: Andrea
    Calories: 326kcal
    Course: Cookies + Biscuits, Pastry
    Cuisine: International
    Keyword: Apple Pie Cookies, Autumn Baking Recipes, Autumn Party Treats, Homemade Apple Pie Filling, Lattice Apple Pie Cookies, Mini Apple Pie Cookies, Molasses-Spiced Apple Filling, Pastry Lattice Technique, Shortcrust Pastry

    Nutrition

    Calories: 326kcal