Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes per batch

Makes about 4 dozen

These are soft cookies with a spicy apple flavor. The caramel glaze adds a sweet touch.

Note: To toast walnut pieces, place in a dry nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until walnuts are fragrant, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Cool before chopping.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 cup grated apple, from 1 large or 2 small peeled, cored baking apples

1 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

Caramel glaze:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

4 teaspoons milk or half and half

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy and well blended. Add egg and blend until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add half the mixture to butter mixture, stirring until incorporated, and then add remainder of flour mixture.

Add milk, then gently stir in, using a spatula or wooden spoon, the grated apple and chopped nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Let cool on rack for a few minutes, then slide the paper, with cookies still on it, from pan to rack and let cookies finish cooling before removing from paper. (An offset spatula works well for this.)

To make caramel glaze: Combine brown sugar and butter in a small pan. Stir and bring to boil over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the confectioners' sugar and half the milk, stirring before adding the rest of the milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Drizzle over cooled cookies using a fork. Add a little more milk if glaze becomes too thick.

Per cookie: 97 cal.; 1 g pro.; 14 g carb.; 4 g fat (2 sat., 1 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 10 mg chol.; 55 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 38 percent calories from fat.

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