Apple Butter Chewy Cinnamon M&M Cookies

Cookies swaps and the holidays go extremely well together. Then again, I think cookie swaps can work with just about anything. But these organized trades of sweets always seem to pop up around this time of year. I am involved in more than one myself, and today I am part of  the Virtual Cookie Swap, organized by Rachel of The Avid Appetite. Yes virtual, because sometimes it’s nice to not have to wrap them all up and hope for the best that they arrive in one piece after being man-handled at the post office. So be sure to check out all the other great recipes posted today!

These cookies were originally meant to be made with pumpkin butter, until I realized all I had was apple butter. Improvisation saved the day! It actually worked out for the best because I finally found a purpose for the bag of cinnamon M&Ms I snagged at Target a few weeks ago. Not that they couldn’t have worked with the pumpkin, I just didn’t think of them until I swapped in the apple butter.

I am sure these cookies would’ve been great with pumpkin butter, but I love them with apple butter. Unfortunately, it turned out that those cinnamon M&Ms weren’t as cinnamon-y as I had expected (more like cinnamon coated chocolates), but they were still great with this cookie and added a bit of color to the mix, although next time I may use cinnamon chips. My only complaint is that they turned out a little puffy compared to the original. Who knows, I probably did something weird to cause that to happen but it did not change the deliciousness factor.

Sorry Santa, I don’t think these are gonna last until the 25th.

One year ago: Gnocchi with Goat Cheese and Spinach

APPLE BUTTER CHEWY CINNAMON M&M COOKIES

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp apple pie spice

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup apple butter

1-9.9 oz bag cinnamon M&Ms (1 cup cinnamon chips would also work)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars with a wire whisk until they are combined. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until mixed thoroughly. Stir in the pumpkin butter and mix until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture (I did this in 3 intervals) and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but work it with a rubber spatula and it will all come together. Fold chocolate chips.
4. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Once firm, use a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop (or eyeball it using a regular spoon) and place on baking sheet with at least 2 inches of space between each cookie.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are crisp and slightly golden on the edges. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes to set, then remove them to a wire rack to cool.

Source: Adapted from The Whimsical Cupcake, which was originally slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is.