Apple Cider Caramel Cookies - total time 2 hours

A week of Christmas baking with several new cookies on tap!  The first one is perfectly seasonal too.  Our apple pile from the orchard is starting to dwindle and a couple were a little soft, so they were great to use in this recipe.  The cookie tastes like an apple cinnamon shortbread.  Warm the cookie up and the caramel is ooey goey.  If you won't be able to warm the cookies up where you are taking them, a better alternative may be to frost them with a caramel frosting instead of the caramel candy inside (I am definitely trying this soon!).

.5 cup apple juice
1-2 apples, chopped
1.5 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tsp all spice
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 dozen caramels

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small pot, cook apple juice and apple chunks over low heat to create an 'apple reduction'.
2.  Whip butter in mixer, then add butter, and continue to whip.  Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice and blend together.
3.  Take apples off heat and allow to cool.  The reduction should make about 3 tablespoons of apple syrup.  Once cooled, add into batter.
4.  Add flour a small amount at a time until everything has combined.  Wrap dough in plastic and refridgerate for at least one hour.
5.  Shape dough into two inch disks fold caramel into each one.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Reheat in microwave for 10 seconds before serving to soften caramel.

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