Name: Apple filled Cookies
Prep time: 100 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 220 gms – 1 ¾ cup plain flour; 100 gms – 7 tbsp butter; 100 gms – ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 egg; ½ tsp lemon zest (grated); 2 small apples; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 30 gms – 2 tbsp butter; 4 tsp marmalade

I must admit that we never ate many sweets in my home. My mum is a fantastic cook, but she never really liked baking. One of the exceptions was her Crostata di Mele (click here for the recipe), which till today is still my favourite cake. There is nothing better than biting into sweet crumbly crust and soft delicious apples. Today’s recipe is quite similar to Crostata di Mele in flavour… but in the form of cookies. These Apple filled Cookies are made with Italian “pie” crust called pasta frolla, sweet, crunchy and buttery. The filling is a simple mix of apples cooked with marmalade and butter. Don’t you just love a buttery cookie filled with soft sweet apples?? Please, resist the urge to add cinnamon or any apple pie spice mix to the filling… give the Italian version a chance and I know you will not be disappointed. We just finished the latest batch and I think I am going to bake another one this week, they are just too good! Enjoy!

Apple filled Cookies

Apple filled Cookies - crunchy and buttery cookies filled with soft sweet apples. A favourite Italian treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 20

Author Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

220 gms – 1 ¾ cup plain flour
100 gms – 7 tbsp butter
100 gms – ½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
½ tsp lemon zest grated

Apple Filling

2 small apples
1 tbsp brown sugar
30 gms – 2 tbsp butter
4 tsp marmalade

Instructions

Cookie Dough

Put the cold butter and sugar in a mixer and blend for a few seconds until you get coarse crumbs.
Add the egg and blend for a few seconds.
Add the flour, baking powder and lemon zest and blend until incorporated.
Knead into a ball, flatten it, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Apple Filling

In the meantime, peel the apple and dice it into small cubes.
Put it in a sauce pan with the brown sugar, butter and marmalade.
Cook on a low fire until soft. You may need to add a little water, depending on the apples you are using.

Cookies

Roll the dough into a 3 mm - 1/8″ thick sheet and cut out 4 cm – 1 1/2″ circles.
Put 1 tsp of filling in the centre of half the circles and use the remaining circles to top them. Make sure to pinch the sides closed. You also want the tops to break slightly.
Put the cookies on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C – 355°F for 20 minutes.
When ready, let them cool down for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool down completely.