Tender shortbread cookies filled with sweet apple pie filling may be a new fall tradition at your house. I’ve added these to my shortbread pie cookie collection, and I think this is (take a step back,“Chocolate Pie Shortbread Cookies”) now my very favorite variety.
Imagine biting into one of these and sinking your teeth into warm apple filling. It’s heavenly! Promise me you’ll try one before it’s cooled off entirely. Don’t get me wrong—they’re great the next day—but warm off the rack? Delightful.
Proper shortbread uses a lot of butter, so this is not an inexpensive or low- cal recipe, but when the cookie melts in your mouth you will forget cost, time, and calories. The cookies are that good. Oh, and speaking of time . . . these aren’t hard, but weaving the lattice tops takes a little patience. Plan on a few hours of baking bliss, or find a helper to make it go faster. Believe me, rushing through it just makes more work for you; the little strips of dough will sense your impatience and be less cooperative. Enjoy the process!
Hint: If you plan to make these for a special occasion like Thanksgiving, when you’ll be running around doing lots of last-minute things, make the cookies the week before and freeze them, assembled but unbaked. So easy that way, and if you’re serving right after the meal, they can go in when the rolls come out of the oven. (Make sure you set the timer; you know how crazy things get. Or is that just me?) They’ll still be warm when everyone is ready for dessert.
My husband, having a constant stream of goodies presented to him, has become a little hard to impress. His comment after eating one of these warm cookies? “This is so much more than a cookie!” We won’t discuss how many he ate.
I know this recipe looks daunting, but that’s because it’s hard to explain how to make the lattice tops. It’s just wordy. I’m sure you could figure it out (I’m embarrassed to tell you how long it took me to find the fastest method) but it’s all down in black and white for you!
Apples vary in juiciness, which is why I have you strain them so the amount of thickener is consistent. If you have leftover cooked juice, it’s wonderful in tea (or wine).
NOTE: Recipe was edited to change the size of the cookie cutters. (I need to learn to read a ruler correctly.) The large cutter was about 3 1/2 inches, and the small one was 3 inches. Even so, those are BIG cookies. Feel free to downsize.
| "Apple Pie" Shortbread Cookies | Print |
- APPLE FILLING:
- 4 cups chopped apple (about 3 large apples)
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons apple cider, divided
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- COOKIE DOUGH:
- 2 cups butter (4 sticks), room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider (may use milk)
- 2 eggs, separated
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ cup cinnamon sugar
- FILLING: In a medium pan on medium heat, combine chopped apples, ¼ cup cider, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then cook at a low boil (reduce heat if necessary) for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Strain apples, reserving the liquid.
- In a small bowl or cup, combine 3 tablespoons cider with 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir well and set aside.
- Return apples to the pan, along with 1 cup of the reserved liquid. (add apple cider to reach 1 cup of liquid, if necessary.)
- Bring apple mixture back to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until thick - about 1 minute. Cool thoroughly.
- DOUGH: In a large bowl (this is a heavy dough, so a sturdy mixer and dough hook is recommended) combine softened butter and powdered sugar. Beat well.
- Add apple cider and egg yolks and beat until incorporated. (Reserve egg whites in small bowl.)
- Add flour, salt, and nutmeg. Beat just until combined. Add cornstarch and beat until thoroughly combined. Dough will be stiff.
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- Working with half of the dough at a time, roll out to ¼-inch thickness. (A little thinner is fine, but don't go thicker.) For best results, roll between lightly floured sheets of parchment. Choose two round cutters, one slightly smaller than the other. My large cutter was 3½ inches and my small one was 3 inches.Cut dough into strips the width of your big cutter, and then from the short side, cut those strips into smaller strips a little less than ½-inch thick. (Each small strip would be 4½-inches by about ½-inch.)
- Weave 6 pieces into lattice, leaving a little space between strips. (Lay one piece vertically, one horizontally, making a plus sign. Place two more vertical pieces, one on each side of vertical piece. Lift the top of the center piece and slide a strip under it horizontally, laying over the other two vertical pieces. Lift the bottom of the center piece and slide a strip under it horizontally, over the other two vertical pieces.)
- Press lattice firmly with the palm of your hand. Center the small cutter over the lattice and cut out a round. Hold it down firmly with one hand while you remove the scraps and place them in a pile. SCRAPS WILL BE USED TO MAKE THE COOKIE BOTTOMS LATER.
- With a thin spatula, move the cookie top to a piece of parchment or cutting board. Repeat until you have 24 lattice tops, using as much of the remaining dough in the bowl as necessary.
- Whisk together the reserved egg whites and 1 tablespoon water. Brush lightly over lattice tops and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Gather all of the scraps and any remaining dough and roll out to a little less than ¼-inch thickness. Cut rounds with large cutter. Press around the edge of each with your finger to thin and enlarge the rounds slightly. Brush with egg white wash.
- Heap 1 level tablespoon of apple mixture in the center of each round (a small scoop works well) and cover with one lattice top. Press the edge of the lattice top down firmly, then use your finger to flute the edge of the bottom round up, pressing firmly into the lattice layer. Place 1 inch apart on parchment covered baking sheet.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, or until edges are beginning to brown. Move to a rack to cool.
Cook the filling.
Strain the cooked apples. Don’t throw that juice away!
Add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling apples. Once thickened, let it cool completely.
Are you ready to rock?
(No pics of mixing dough. That’s pretty basic stuff!)
Roll out dough between sheets of floured parchment.
Cut strips the width of your large cutter; then cut those pieces into smaller strips
These strips are almost 1/2-inch wide. You can also make skinnier strips and use 8 pieces for a more dainty lattice.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Use a thin spatula to move each lattice onto filling.
Cut out bottom rounds. Press around edge to thin and enlarge slightly.
Brush bottom with egg wash. Heap a level tablespoon of filling in the center of each round. Add a lattice top and press firmly around the base
Use fingertip to flute edges . Press firmly against base of lattice top. (If you don’t press them together, the fluted edges may lay back down again as they bake!)
Going in the oven.
Enjoy!
Lorinda