While doing this cookie challenge of baking a cookie from every state, I have realized a few things thus far. One thing I’ve realized is that a lot of these cookies are hard to actually write about besides giving a general review. This cookie is different. It’s different because of the ingredients I used to make them and it’s different because I have a memory of New York which is the state that these cookies are from.

I visited New York briefly. Very briefly. I think I was there for a whopping 3 nights or a whole 2 days. I went to visit a friend who was home for Christmas (she has been residing in France for 10 years now if you can believe it).

I remember a lot about that trip now that I’m actively thinking about it. I had never been to New York before. I had to fly into New Jersey and take a train the rest of the way. Emily said she’d meet me at the train station in New York. I was wearing a red hoody and had dyed my hair red for the first time a few months prior. I told her this. Seeing as how I’d be completely red I thought she could find me easily.

This was not the case. For whatever reason I could not find her. I heard my name over the intercom, I think. The person did not enunciate well. All the words got mushed together. They repeated it, “Angela….go to…” that’s all I could here. Where was I supposed to go? I had no clue. I tried to find the place where people could page one another. I heard another one. Again, I had no clue what they were saying. Finally we found each other. We must have looked like a bunch of silly school girls running towards each other all smiles and laughing and hugging. I’m pretty sure that scene has been created in movies numerous times and it was probably based on us.

We went to her parents’ apartment in Manhattan and then proceeded to hang out. We didn’t really do a whole lot. There wasn’t really time for it. Plus, we have a certain rhythm together. We are fine not doing “activities” per say but just enjoying one another’s company and whatever fills the time with that is fine. We went to the Met Museum which was fun. I’ve been to many a museum with Miss Monaco who is a great museum partner. We can go and not be rushed and take our own time together or separately. It all works out.

We also went to Carnegie Deli which was one of the only things I had requested we do while I visited. I wanted to eat there and I had a request from a friend to bring back a dried sausage. It was amazing. Emily said we should split a sandwich cause they were huge. She wasn’t joking.

It was served with a side of coleslaw and pickles (which were sooo good). They just look pretty.

After we ate I tried to go buy a salami and the guy handed me a bag with a sandwich. I explained I wanted a dried sausage/hard salami & pointed to the ones hanging up. He laughed and said not many people buy those (i.e. only tourists do).

Those are the only things I can remember except for a few miscellaneous memories. I remember the smell of burnt toast in the morning and Emily explaining that her sister would only eat it when it was basically completely charred. I remember being there for garbage day. I had always heard about garbage day in New York. About the gabage bags being stacked higher than head level all down the streets because there was no where else to put it for collection. People live stacked on one another in apartment buildings so it makes sense that the garbage would be the same. I also remember going out with her and her friends.

We went to a bar and proceeded to drink, talk, laugh, and basically just have a fun night out.

If you look closely at this photo I am in the background staring at Big Buck Hunter. Being from Minnesota everyone assumed I’d kick ass at the game but I had to explain I had never been hunting let alone played that game. Little did I know that I would become a hunter within a few years.

Which brings me to today (7 years later). I have been living in Almost Canada for almost 4 years now. I still haven’t played Big Buck Hunter since that time in New York but I now hunt for real. We also have a garden which is the one of the few things I like about summer. The chance to get to eat fresh veggies all the time. This year we discovered we had an apple tree. A small one but how cool is that!

We also have too many deer eating our garden and tree this year. Not cool. I went out and picked all the apples I could once I realized we had a deer problem. I ended up getting just a handful (I had 4 more but I used them to make these cookies)

These apples are definitely a bit tart but still delicious. Finding that apple tree to make these cookies in my 50 States, 50 Cookies challenge couldn’t have timed out any better.

Apple Pie Stuffed Snickerdoodles (from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies)

Ingredients Apple Pie Filling 2 medium Apples peeled, cored, diced (1-3/4 cups) 3 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar packed 1/2 Tbsp Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour 1 tsp ground Cinnamon 1 Tbsp Butter Snickerdoodles 1/2 cup Butter room temperature 1/2 cup Shortening 1 cup Granulated Sugar 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar packed 2 Eggs 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 2+ 3/4 cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour 1+ 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Salt Coating 1/2 Tbsp ground Cinnamon 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

Instructions

Apple Pie Filling

1. In a medium saucepan, add in the apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Stir to combine.
2. Place saucepan over medium heat and let it come up to a simmer and simmer for about 3 – 4 minutes until the syrup is thick. Be sure to stir continuously. The apples will be soft.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool while you make your cookie dough.

Cookie Dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the mixing bowl, add in the butter and shortening. Using a paddle attachment on medium speed, mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down.
3. Add granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Mix on medium until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the vanilla and one egg at a time and continue mixing. Once the egg is incorporated add in the second egg and continue mixing. Once both eggs are incorporated, scrape down the sides.
5. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until the flour starts to combine with the wet mixture. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer up to medium until everything is combined.
6. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop the dough up. Make a well in the center of the cookie using your thumb.
7. Add a small spoon full of apple pie filling into the cookie.
8. Cover the well up with more cookie dough. Press to together and even it out with the top of the cookie scoop.
9. In a shallow bowl, add in the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Stir together.
10. Place into the cookie into the cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough into it’s completely covered.
11. Place on baking sheet to bake. Leave 1 to 2 inches between each cookie.
12. Once the cookie sheet is full, bake for 12-16 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.