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Soft and tender cookies bursting with apple cider flavor, brown butter richness, cinnamon sugar coating, and a bright apple cider glaze, reminiscent of apple cider donuts.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
  • 1 cup apple cider, reduced to 1/4 cup
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons brown butter (reserved from browned butter)
  • 1 tablespoon regular apple cider (not reduced)
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar (for cinnamon sugar)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (for cinnamon sugar)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons regular apple cider (not reduced)

Instructions

  1. Brown the unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until milk solids turn golden amber. Pour into a heatproof container to stop cooking, scoop out and reserve 2 tablespoons for brushing, and let the rest cool to room temperature.
  2. Simmer 1 cup apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, approximately 12–15 minutes; cool to room temperature.
  3. Whisk together dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg; set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine cooled browned butter, reduced apple cider, packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, egg, and applesauce; stir until just combined.
  5. Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula until just combined; do not overmix.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper; let dough rest while oven heats.
  7. Portion dough using a large cookie scoop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about six cookies per sheet.
  8. Bake one sheet at a time for 13–15 minutes until edges are set and centers look slightly soft.
  9. Cool baked cookies completely on a wire rack before decorating.
  10. Whisk the reserved 2 tablespoons brown butter with 1 tablespoon regular (not reduced) apple cider in a small bowl; soften butter briefly in microwave if needed.
  11. In a separate bowl, combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar.
  12. Brush each cooled cookie generously with the apple cider brown butter mixture, then immediately roll or dip each cookie in cinnamon sugar, one cookie at a time.
  13. Whisk powdered sugar and regular apple cider until smooth and pourable to make the glaze.
  14. Drizzle apple cider glaze over coated cookies and let glaze set before stacking or serving.

Notes

Brown butter until milk solids are golden amber for nutty flavor essential to the recipe., Reducing the cider concentrates apple flavor for more intense taste in the cookies., Measure flour by spooning and leveling or weighing for better texture and spread., Brush cookies generously with apple cider butter before coating with cinnamon sugar so sugar sticks well., Cookies can be stored at room temperature (3 days), refrigerated (up to 1 week), or frozen (up to 3 months); decorate after thawing if frozen., Dough can be frozen before baking; add 1-2 minutes to baking time if baking from frozen., Reheat cookies briefly in microwave or oven to refresh texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/apple-cider-cookies/