Apple Spice Whoopies

My Aunt Rose’s Fresh Apple Cake made into yummy filled cookies! What could be better? I’ve seen carrot cakes and even red velvet cakes made into cookies so I wanted to make my favorite cake into cookies.

I experimented with the spices and the amount of flour and the type of apple, trying several variations and ended up with the following recipe. I want to thank all my co-workers and family for being my testers and for all their input into the project.

Ingredient

• 2 cups grated apples, packed (most of my testers preferred Pink Lady and the rest liked Granny Smith apples)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• nuts optional (I used pecans)
• 1 recipe cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Peel, core, and grate apples (takes 2 3/4 to 3 apples), put into a glass mixing bowl.  Add sugar through vanilla and let set for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.  To the apple mixture add 1 1/2 cups of flour and the baking soda.  Add more flour to make the dough the consistency between cake batter and cookie dough.  The amount of flour needed depends on the amount of juice the apples make.
3. Put a heaping teaspoon of dough onto the parchment paper and spread it out so it is flat and not mounded up.  Continue until the cookie sheet is filled, leaving a couple inches between the cookies. 
4. If you want nuts, break the nuts up into pieces and place on top of half the cookies, press the nuts into the cookie dough.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges and when touched, it doesn’t leave a dent. 
5. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.  Continue until all cookies are baked.  (makes approximately 20 filled cookies, depending on size)
6. Prepare the  frosting and spread a liberal amount on the flat side of the cookie then place another cookie on it to make a sandwich cookie.