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Apple Spiced Tavern Gooey Biscuits

On the menu it’s Apple Spiced Cookies — Dozen.

Soft spiced cookies under a glossy apple topping that stays put instead of running off.

Makes

About 18 cookies, topped

Hands on

45 min

All in

1 h 35

Oven

175 °C (350 °F)

One step at a time, screen kept awake

What you need

• ¾ cup (170 g)unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g)brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup (50 g)white sugar
• 1 largeegg
• 2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla
• 2 cups (240 g)all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5 ml)baking soda
• ½ tsp (2 ml)baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 ml)salt
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)cinnamon
• ½ tsp (2 ml)nutmeg
• ½ tsp (2 ml)allspice
• ¼ tsp (1 ml)ground cloves
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)molasses — optional, deepens the colour and the chew
• 2 mediumFOR THE TOPPING — apples, peeled and diced very small
• 3 tbsp (45 ml)butter
• ⅓ cup (80 ml)brown sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml)white sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml)cinnamon
• ¼ tsp (1 ml)nutmeg
• ¼ tsp (1 ml)allspice
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)lemon juice
• 1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla
• 2 tbsp (30 ml)cornstarch
• ¼ cup (60 ml)cold water
• a pinchsalt
• 2 tbsp (30 ml)maple syrup or honey — optional, for extra shine

How it goes

1. 1

   Cream the butter with both sugars until fluffy.

2. 2

   Add the egg and vanilla; mix until smooth.

3. 3

   In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and all the spices.

4. 4

   Fold the dry into the wet until just combined. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.

5. 5

   Chill the dough 20–30 minutes. This is what keeps them thick instead of spreading flat.

6. 6

   Heat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).

7. 7

   Scoop into balls of about 2 tbsp each onto a lined sheet.

8. 8

   Bake 10–11 minutes — edges set, centres still soft.

9. 9

   Cool completely before topping. Warm cookies melt the glaze and it runs off the edge.

10. 10

    TOPPING — melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.

11. 11

    Add the apples, both sugars and the spices. Cook 5–7 minutes until the apples soften and give up their juice.

12. 12

    Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth, then pour it into the apples and stir.

13. 13

    Cook 2–3 minutes more until thick and glossy. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.

14. 14

    Let it cool slightly — it thickens a lot more as it sits. Spoon onto the cooled cookies.

A couple of things

• The cornstarch is the whole trick. Without it the topping is apple sauce and it slides off; with it the topping sits on the cookie and stays put.
• Dice the apples smaller than feels necessary. Big pieces stay crunchy and tear the cookie when you bite.
• Topped, these want the fridge and 4–5 days. Plain, they keep 3–5 days on the counter — so top them the day they are going out.

Contains : wheat, milk, eggs