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Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies

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Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies | Magnolia Days

Apples were on the counter beside a mandoline. Three baking sheets lined with parchment were by the oven. The project to make dried apple slices started with great hope. Then glitches started to appear. The apples were wider than the mandoline. Raised sides prevented them from contact with the blade. Sides were sliced to make them fit. Soon there were uniquely shaped slices spread on the parchment. Into the oven they went to become dry and crispy. A few hours later it was evident the chips were a failure. Some were soft and the rest were over-done. Into the trash they went and I was off to the store to get a bag so I could make apple walnut cream cheese cookies.

Making apple chips seemed like a great idea. How difficult can it be? Perhaps it is my nemesis in the baking world. Such a simple thing to go so wrong. Oh well, it’s all good. The crispy ones from the store did nicely. They crushed up perfectly in my food processor. Those crushed up bits are a great substitute for nuts. My goal was to have a subtle apple flavor added to walnut cream cheese cookies. They turned out exactly as I imagined. If you want more apple flavor, increase the amount of crushed apple chips and decrease the amount of walnuts in the dough.

Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies | Magnolia Days

These cookies have one feature I really enjoy. The dough is made, shaped into logs, and frozen. This means you can keep it in the freezer for weeks (or perhaps longer if wrapped well with layers of plastic wrap or foil). It’s handy when you want fresh cookies but don’t have the time to make the dough. This is way better than any slice and bake cookies you get at the store. Just be ready for them to disappear shortly after baking. Oh the buttery, apple-y, nutty, cream cheese goodness!

Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies | Magnolia Days

Do you enjoy baking cookies? The Creative Cookie Exchange is a group of bakers and bloggers who shares recipes each month based on a theme. CCE is hosted by Laura of The Spiced Life and Rebecka of At Home With Rebecka. And this month’s theme is apples. You can join in the fun too. Scroll down to see the details and find links to more great cookies.

Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies | Magnolia Days
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Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies

A recipe for Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies made with chopped dried apples. The buttery cookies have a subtle apple flavor and crunch from walnuts.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Author Renee

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 cups unsalted butter 4 sticks, at room temperature
  • 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 ounce bag dried apple chips finely chopped makes 3/4 cup
  • 1 3/4 cups walnuts 3/4 cup toasted and coarsely chopped, 1 cup finely chopped, divided

Instructions

  1. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a flat beater, add butter and cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
  3. Add sugar and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
  4. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined (do not over mix).
  5. Stir or mix in apple chips and toasted walnut pieces.
  6. Transfer dough to a work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a log, 8 1/2 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.
  7. Wrap each log in parchment paper and freeze overnight or up to 2 weeks.
  8. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  9. Take out one log from the freezer and let it set out for 30 minutes. Unwrap the log and roll it in the remaining chopped walnuts, coating completely.
  10. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Space 1 in apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or non-stick liner.
  11. Bake cookies for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden around the edges.
  12. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks. (Do not remove cookies from baking sheet until completely cooled).
  13. Repeat with remaining log and walnuts. Store cookies in a airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

Total time does not include time for freezing the cookie dough. These cookies have a subtle apple flavor. You can increase the amount of dried apples for more apple flavor (remember to equally reduce the amount of chopped walnuts).

Want to join in the Creative Cookie Exchange fun? Here’s how:

1. Write a blog post with recipe and original photo (please include some language here specific to that month’s theme). We would like the recipe to be one you’re making for the first time, and photos must be original.

2. Post the Cookie Exchange logo somewhere on your blog post so others can join in the fun:

Creative Cookie Exchange Logo

3. Make a good faith effort to visit and comment on the other cookies in the Linky party. We all love cookies so that should be easy!

4. LIKE the Creative Cookie Exchange Facebook Page

5. FOLLOW the Creative Cookie Exchange Pinterest Board

6. LINK your blog post below using the Linky tool

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes–be sure to check out our Facebook page, our Pinterest Board, and our monthly posts. You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration for this month’s theme, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made so far:

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Comments

  1. Lora @cakeduchess says

    I’ve never experimented in making apple chips before. I am always cooking them a little to add to a pie or cake. Now I am curious to make these cookies with some chips because they look fantastic, Renee!

    Reply

  3. Carla says

    I love the addition of apple chips! Funny how something that seems so simple homemade doesn’t work out. Oh well. I’m glad you didn’t give up on these cookies 😉

    Reply

  4. Stacy says

    My sister used to own a dehydrator and she made apple chips in it. It never occurred to me that i could use a regular oven, although your experience would seem to indicate that I can’t.

    What lovely buttery cookies, Renee! I can just imagine the cream cheese with all that butter and the crispy apples. And the toasted walnuts! I’d love to have a roll of this dough in my freezer at all times.

    Reply

    • Renee says

      I’m sure it is possible to use a regular oven but perhaps the temperature was off plus I have different baking sheets. The different sheets probably caused the uneven results.

      Reply

  5. Tara says

    I would really like to get a dehydrator too but where do you keep all the million small appliances??

    I love that these are log cookies and that you can have them in the freezer, that is so handy for fresh baked cookies!! I love that at Christmas time too!

    Your cookies look so good and I adore walnuts!!

    Reply

  6. The Ninja Baker says

    Your idea of baking apple slices in the oven is ingenious, Renee. Guess the dehydrator is the equipment for the task. Who knew? At any rate, your cookies look and sound dee-luscious! They appear to have the perfect crumble and the perfect compliment to a cup of tea =)

    Reply

  7. Rebecka says

    I really appreciate you sharing a failed attempt at a recipe! We all have those experiences in the kitchen one time or another but we don’t often share them with our readers. I just recently made caramel with my tried and true recipe and it bombed horribly. I don’t know if it was the cold weather or operator error, all I know is the caramel was a mess!
    Thank you for co-hosting the Creative Cookie Exchange and sharing your gorgeous photos, and recipe!

    Reply

    • Renee says

      There a lots of different apple cookies and I’m enjoying this apple theme with the Creative Cookie Exchange to see all the different ones.

      Reply

    • Renee says

      Some may be a little thicker than others. It’s a matter of how you slice them. And a mandoline can be quite tricky if you are not careful.

      Reply

  11. Holly says

    Gosh, I am on the same wavelength as you! Just today I tried for the first time to make apple chips in the oven. It was a so-so result. I think they are lacking much taste but for a change my husband liked something I made and thought they were just fine. So the jury is out on apple chip making here but I KNOW that I’d love your cookie!

    Reply

    • Renee says

      Oh how interesting you were attempting apple chips too. At least I’m not the only one with not so great result. Good thing your husband enjoyed them.

      Reply

  12. kathyj says

    Apple chips
    Thinly slice on a mandoline. Plain or sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar or even better a little salt/sugar/cinnamon. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 275 for 1 hour 20 minutes. Flip over halfway through. Makes perfect crispy luscious chips that will last absolutely no time at all.

    Reply

    • Renee says

      Thanks Kathyj. I’ll have to try your method next time. I think I had the oven temp lower which could have been what caused the poor results.

      Reply

  14. Bill says

    These cookies look so delicious, Renee! I’m loving the apples this fall and these cookies are a perfect way to use them. Thanks for sharing a great recipe. I love that they can be made ahead of time and frozen. Great post!

    Reply

  16. Miranda says

    I’ve never taken notice of apple chips! This is a wonderful idea for a cookie. This would be a perfect cookie for me since I can slice off a couple of cookies and throw the rest back in the freezer. My husband is a party pooper when it comes to anything that’s possibly healthy such as fruits, vegetables, nuts.

    Reply

  20. Laura says

    I love these cookies! I love slice and bakes, and I love the cream cheese with the apples.

    How high of a heat did you try to dry the apples on?

    Reply

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