The soft apple cookies are delicious, crumbly, and easy to make, perfect for dipping into a cup of milk or tea for breakfast or a daily snack. A simple and quick recipe that uses wholesome ingredients we all have in our pantry: eggs, flour, butter, and sugar. A preparation based on shortcrust pastry to which a chopped apple is added.
A shortcrust dough that doesn’t need to be rolled out with a rolling pin. Simply pick up some dough with your hands and form balls, then place them on the baking sheet and bake. These cookies are flavored with lemon zest, but if you prefer, you can also add ground cinnamon.
Yes, this time I managed not to use cinnamon in this recipe, perhaps in the coming weeks, a variant of these cookies might arrive. We liked them a lot. If you’re curious to find out how to make them, let’s go to the kitchen because the soft apple cookies will be ready in a click!
If you’re interested in more cookie recipes, also check out:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 19 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 107.57 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.32 (g) of which sugars 7.79 (g)
- Proteins 1.74 (g)
- Fat 3.87 (g) of which saturated 2.40 (g)of which unsaturated 1.39 (g)
- Fibers 0.48 (g)
- Sodium 1.26 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 28 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- lemon zest (grated, to taste)
- 1 apple
- 3 tbsp sugar
- powdered sugar (to taste)
Tools
- Bowl
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Spoon
Steps
First, mix the softened butter with the egg yolk, sugar, and untreated lemon zest in a bowl until you get a creamy mixture. Then add the milk and continue mixing with the spoon until all the ingredients are blended.
Next, incorporate the flour and baking powder and knead with your hands until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel an apple, remove the core, and cut it into very small cubes. Pat the apple pieces dry with a paper towel and take the dough out of the fridge. Flatten it slightly with your hands and add the apple cubes to the dough. Knead again to mix them in. For this step, I recommend not handling the dough too much to prevent it from becoming too moist.
Then, take small portions of dough with your hands and form balls the size of a walnut. Slightly flatten them with your hands, roll them in granulated sugar, and place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart because they will slightly rise during baking. Bake the cookies in a fan oven at 356°F for 15 minutes or until golden.
The soft apple cookies are ready! Remove them from the oven and let them cool before enjoying.
Variations and Tips for Soft Apple Cookies
The apple cookies can be stored in a cool, dry place for 3 or 4 days in a tin with a lid.
FAQ Questions and Answers for Soft Apple Cookies
Can I add ground cinnamon?
Yes, you can add cinnamon or dried fruit of your choice: walnuts, pine nuts, or raisins. You can also replace the lemon zest with vanilla extract to flavor the cookies.
Is it better to use a fan or a conventional oven?
For this recipe, it’s better to use a fan oven due to the presence of apples, which make the dough quite moist and sticky.
