Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Peel a Granny Smith apple and finely chop (approximately one half apple will equal a half cup of apple chunks). Dump the apple chunks onto a paper towel to soak up the excess moisture. Let the apple chunks sit on the paper towel until you are ready to add them into the cookie dough.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, affixed with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in the apple butter and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until ingredients are well incorporated.

Change the mixer to low speed and mix in the apple chunks, flour, salt, cornstarch, baking powder and both oats. Mix until barely combined. Pour dough onto plastic wrap and place dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours.

Once dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350-degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, add the sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the topping. Scoop medium sized cookie dough balls and drop the balls into the sugar-spice to coat them. Place cookie dough balls a few inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake cookies one cookie sheet at a time, in 350-degree oven, for 10-11 minutes. Remove baked cookies from the oven and let set on the pan for 10-minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.