Steve Jobs Apple Cookies

In honor of the late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, inventor and innovator, creator of my most treasured link to the outside world (my iPhone) of adults, I decided I had to create a cookie to show my appreciation for all that he brought to my world. It may seem trite, but I really love cookies, and I'm good at making cookies, so this really is meant as a tribute. When I decided that I wanted to make these my only inspiration was the apple shape, so I found an apple shaped cookie cutter on Amazon for $1.29. Not knowing Mr. Jobs personally, I had no idea what type of cookie he might prefer, but I figured he named his company after apples, so he might like those. Then I found a recipe for apple cider caramel and I thought, oooh, that sounds really good. So apple flavored apple shaped cookies with apple cider caramel filling? Yeah, that sounds like a mighty fine cookie to me. And as it happens, they are apple-tastic! If Steve Jobs were still with us I'd like to think he'd like these cookies, I hope he would. The world will always miss him and his amazing ideas, and every time I make these cookies I'll offer up my thanks to Apple's Father for the inspiration, the innovations, and just making my life easier in so many ways. Make them while reading the recipe off of your iPad, while listening to music on you iPod, and updating facebook on your iPhone.

Steve Jobs Apple Cookies

2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp maple extract
1 tbsp Sour Apple liqueur (like Pucker's)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup peeled, finely diced granny smith apple
One Apple Cider Caramel (for the filling) or just plane caramel melted, not caramel sauce, melted caramel candies

http://candy.about.com/od/caramelrecipes/r/applecaramels.htm

Beat butter, brown sugar, maple extract together until creamy. Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice. Add dry ingredients a little at a time. Add sour apple liqueur and finely diced apple.



This will form a nice dough with the bits of apple showing through here are there.


Roll it out and use cookies cutters, apple shaped or not, make an even number that fit together. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the parchment, then take the warm but not hot melted caramel, put about a tsp on the bottom cookie then put another cookie on top to make a caramel cookie sandwich. When I made these I used my apple cookie cutter and for the top cookies I cut out a little bite like the apple logo where the caramel showed through. A big hit all around. These cookies are also good without the caramel and just plain, or with pumpkin pie dip, 1 package cream cheese, 1/2 cup prumpkin puree, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. I made them that way for our neighborhood halloween party and they were a hit.