Cinnamon Shortbread Apple Pockets
I think it is a lot of fun to take a basic delicious recipe and build on it to create a new dessert. Case in point are these Cinnamon Shortbread Apple Pockets.
I blogged about my Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies last week and the response was wonderful. I thought to myself that the cookies are great on their own, but I thought I could do more with them.
And this is how Cinnamon Shortbread Apple Pockets came to be. The apples are cooked and cooled first; best of all they can, actually, be made a day or two ahead of time. Just like the dough.
The bottom of each cookie is dipped into cinnamon/sugar. It gets topped with a tablespoon of the cooled apple mixture and then topped with a second cookie dough circle. A quick brush of egg wash and a sprinkling of more of that yummy cinnamon/sugar and the pockets are ready to bake.
Keep an eye out for my next creation…Apple Cheesecake with Cinnamon Shortbread Cookie Crust. The possibilities are endless, once I get started!
Watch it:
| Cinnamon Shortbread Apple Pockets | Print |
- Apple filling:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into medium size pieces
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cookies:
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- Coating:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the apple filling:
- Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the apples, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir to coat all of the apples. Cook over medium low heat, covered until the apples are tender. Uncover and continue cooking until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cool completely.
- The apple filling may be refrigerated for up to two days.
- For the cookies:
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the egg and vanilla. Blend in the dry ingredients just until the dough stays together.
- Form into a disc and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- For the egg wash:
- Beat the egg in a glass and set aside.
- Coating:
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl that is large enough for a 3½” cookie. Set aside.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper so that it is ¼“ thick. Use a 3½” round glass or cookie cutter to cut circles.
- Gently coat the bottom of ½ of the cookie rounds in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and then place on the prepared pan. Spread 1 tablespoon of the apple filling over the cookie dough round, but do not take the filling to the edge. Cover with a second cookie dough round. Gently press the edges together. Repeat with all of the rounds.
- Repeat these steps with the leftover dough.
- Brush the tops of each pocket with the egg wash and sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over each one.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 18 - 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, top to bottom and front to back. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Betsy's tidbits:
- The cookies may be rolled as thick or thin as you prefer. The baking time varies depending on the thickness of the cookies. The thicker the cookies, the longer the baking time.
- The number of cookies may vary depending on the thickness of the cookies.
- If you have leftover cinnamon/sugar, sprinkle it over some eggs or buttered toast. M-M-M.
- If you have any leftover apple filling mixture, mix it into some vanilla ice cream and top with caramel sauce.
