These are almost like a cross between tart and cookie—simple to make, and a festive dessert served with ice cream or as a substantial shortbread-like stuffed cookie. A quick cranberry-apple compote is easy to simmer on the stovetop, and a great way to use up mealy apples and mandarins, but to streamline things, these are wonderful filled with jarred mincemeat, or really any jam or preserves you happen to have on hand.
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Filling
1 large or 2 small apples, finely chopped
1 small mandarin orange, peeled and chopped (optional)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar (brown or white) or 2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup orange juice or water
Dough
1/2 cup butter (regular or brick-style plant butter), softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds (optional)
Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
Servings1 dozen
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
18 minutes
Total Time
28 minutes
How To Make It
Preheat the oven to 350˚F
To make the filling, bring the apples, orange, cranberries, sugar and orange juice or water to a simmer and cook until the apples are softened and the mixture is thick and jam-like. Set aside to cool
To make the dough, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until lightened, then stir or beat in 1 cup of the flour and the salt, blending until smooth
Press 1-inch pieces of dough into the bottom of an ungreased muffin tin, making an indent in the middle, using about three quarters of the dough. Spoon in a small spoonful of the apple filling or mincemeat or other preserves
Blend the remaining flour, along with the oats and/or chopped nuts if you like, into the remaining dough and crumble some around the edge of each cookie, leaving some of the filling uncovered in the middle to show through
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden. Let cool in the pan, then remove the cookies with the help of a thin knife. Makes about 1 dozen cookies
