Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

I've been avoiding blogging because I'm not sure the last few weeks of a crazy pregnant women should be documented.

You don't really want to know that instead of craving chocolate I've been craving Glade Clean Linen carpet deodorizer. It's definitely some form of pica. I have enough non-crazy genes left in me to actually abstain from eating it, but if I could I would. So instead of having dessert I find random reasons to sprinkle this on a 2x2 foot area of carpet and vacuum so that I can at least smell it. It has the same affect for me. Last pregnancy my pica problem materialized in the form of Lysol lemon disinfecting wipes.

...or do you really want to know that my baby girl has a mullet...in the womb.The one advantage of being high risk is that I get a detailed ultrasound every week. I asked yesterday if the baby had hair and the tech said, "Yes. In the back."  Awesome. She's all set for late nights with daddy watching Swamp People.

Do you really want to know that at the park last week a little boy kept trying to lift up my shirt to get his ball back?

...or that the only reason I go to the gym lately is so that I can look at food on Pinterest while I'm stretching. Nope. Didn't think so.

But you do want to know about these cookies - another find on Pinterest that I've had on my "to-try" list. My friend Kaela sent them to work with her husband. Her husband and my husband work together and John thought they were so good he saved one for me and brought it home for me to try. They are full of caramel apple flavor with a surprise of caramel in the middle. The texture of the cookies is to die for. Almost good enough to make me give up my clean linen carpet powder.

I like mine heated up in the microwave for about 5 seconds to make sure the caramel is nice and gooey. I think they would be great with a warm cup of hot cocoa. Kaela's food blog has a new location so make sure to check her out at Cookin' and Kickin'.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Source: Cookin' and Kickin'; original recipe The Cooking Photographer

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (7.4 oz) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (10 packets - found next to hot chocolate mix)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (14 ounce) bag of Kraft chewy caramels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (you need this so that the caramel doesn't stick to the bottom of your cookie sheet).

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

With an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut (about 2 tablespoons).

Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely.

Shape the dough into a ball, and place on parchment covered cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.

Bake 11-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. They may not look quite done in the center but that is OK.

Once the cookies are done, carefully slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter.

Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down on the parchment or on a cookie rack. If they are not upside down while they cool they may drizzle caramel out the bottom.
 
Makes around 2-3 dozen cookies. Eat at room temperature or slightly warmed in the microwave.