Description
Imagine sweater weather, a mug of hot cider, and the crackle of a fire—all baked into a cookie. That’s what these beauties deliver. Soft, spiced dough made with sourdough starter, swirled with apple cider caramel, studded with dark chocolate chunks, toasty pecans, and chewy bites of dried apple. Each bite is gooey, tangy-sweet, and warmly spiced—the perfect edible embodiment of autumn.
Ingredients
Apple Cider Caramel
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4 cups apple cider, reduced
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2 cups cane sugar
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8 Tbsp salted butter
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1 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
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½ tsp sea salt
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1 tsp cinnamon
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1 tsp vanilla
Cookie Dough
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460g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
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330g (1 ½ cups) cane sugar
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410g (2 cups packed) brown sugar
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6 egg yolks
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400g (1 ¾ cups) sourdough starter (active or discard)
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340g (1 ¼ cups) apple butter
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3 tsp vanilla extract
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760g (6 cups) all-purpose flour
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2 tsp sea salt
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2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, ½ tsp allspice, ½ tsp cardamom, ½ tsp nutmeg
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2 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp baking powder
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300g (2 cups) dark chocolate chunks
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200g (1 ½ cups) toasted pecans, chopped
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140g (1 cup) dried apples, chopped
Instructions
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Make Caramel – Reduce cider to ½ cup. Add sugar, butter, cream, and boil 8–10 min. Whisk in salt, cinnamon, vanilla. Cool.
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Toast Pecans – 350°F oven, 6–8 min. Chop.
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Cream Butter & Sugars – Beat until light and fluffy, 2–3 min.
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Add Wet – Mix in yolks, starter, apple butter, vanilla.
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Dry Mix – Whisk flour, spices, salt, soda, baking powder. Add to wet until just combined.
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Fold In – Chocolate, pecans, dried apples.
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Chill Dough – 1 hr minimum, up to 3 days.
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Bake – Scoop 3 Tbsp balls, swirl caramel on top. Bake 350°F, 12–14 min, until golden edges + soft centers. Cool 5 min before transferring.
Notes
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Freeze dough balls for fresh-baked cookies on demand.
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Swap pecans for walnuts, or make nut-free.
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Too sweet? Use 80% dark chocolate for balance.
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Drizzle extra caramel + flaky sea salt for showstopper cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 min + chill time
Nutrition
- Calories: 260 cal Per cookie
- Sugar: 20g
- Fat: 13g
- Carbohydrates: 32g