When It's Cold Outside - Caramel Apple Cider

I found a great recipe for Caramel Apple Cider COOKIES. I'm not the biggest fan of baking for a few reasons.

- You need endless amounts of supplies, ingredients, and tools I'd never use again

- Baking takes patience... 1 hour in fridge, 15 minutes to bake, 10 minutes to cool, it goes on and on

- I don't like chocolate (hence the apple cider cookies!)

The drink (caramel apple cider) brings back great memories from "winter" in Los Angeles. I put winter in quotes because I'm in for a real treat this year. I already purchased my first parka and boot liners!

I made these delicious cookies for J and I to bring into work. They were a great hit!

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, veryyy soft

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (I found it at Safeway/Vons/Pavillions)

2 eggs

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 bag of unwrapped caramels (1 for each cookie)

1. Cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and incorporated.

2. Slowly beat in eggs, vanilla extract, then baking soda and baking powder.

3. Add the flour 1 cup at a time.

4. Then with a "standard size 50 cookie scoop" (I didn't have a cookie scoop so my cookies were all over-sized!) scoop out some cookie dough, flatten it in the palm of your hand and add a caramel square to the middle.

5. Pinch the sides of the dough carefully around the caramel and seal well.

6. Roll dough in your hand to create a perfect ball and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

These cookies spread out pretty far so place them far enough apart.

7. After baking in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes slide parchment paper with cookies onto the counter to cool. Once the cookies have stiffened up a bit (1-2 minutes) flip them over to continue cooling.

If you use a standard cookie scoop you should have about 50 cookies. I came out with 35 delicious cookies.

Enjoy!!