Turkish Apple Cinnamon Cookies

Turkish Apple Cinnamon Cookies are a true classic and packed with fall flavors. These are slightly crispy on the outside and melting in your mouth on the inside. The apple filling gives you the feeling of bite size apple pie.

This post was originally published in 2013 and we’re updating it today with new pictures and additional info.

Apple Cinnamon Cookies are always great sweet treats but they are even better in fall since there are various fresh apples at bazaars in this season. My favorite is always green sourish ones, but these rolls are made with sweet apples, you decide the color. I saw some organic apples at our local bazaar last week and used them in this recipe, you know organic foods have better tastes and these apple cinnamon cookies became divine with that distinctive flavor of apple.

You can find these in many pastry shops in Turkey and they are called elmali kurabiye –cookies with apple. The shape of them might change though. Some of them are so thin and small, some are thick, some have little filling, some have a generous amount, so you are free to make such changes when you make it at home. The filling is always the same though, a mixture of cinnamon, walnut and apple. This is one of my favorite combinations in sweet treats. The flavor of cinnamon couldn’t go better with another fruit! Plus, walnut gives a nice nutty flavor to this mixture. If you like this combination, you should check out this Easy Apple Pie too!

The dough of these apple cinnamon cookies is as important as the filling. It must be melting in your mouth, and you can eat as many as you like.I used all purpose flour for this recipe, but I sometimes make it with whole wheat flour and I love the brownish color more. Also, unlike the traditional one, it gets a little crispy that way and I love it too!

Traditional apple cinnamon cookies don’t have lemon zest in the dough, but I love its refreshing flavor in it. I think it complements the combination of flavors in the filling.

Below are the old pictures of the post:

Cinnamon Walnut and Apple Rolls

Cookies filled with apple, cinnamon and walnut.

• Author: Zerrin
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 12
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

Filling:

• 3 apples, peeled and grated
• ½ cup walnut, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup wheat starch
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 125g butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar to coat cookies

Instructions

1. To make the filling, heat a skillet and cook grated apple and sugar in it until it absorbs the juice.
2. Add in cinnamon and walnuts and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Let it cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and put it aside.
5. To make the dough, combine all the ingredients just until it holds together.
6. Give it a big log shape and cut it into 10.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll them out, giving a circular shape and cut into 8 equal pieces (just like slicing a pizza).
8. Put some filling on the large side of these pieces, roll them up and place on the prepared sheet.
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden and let it cool.
10. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6-7 cookies
• Calories: 396
• Sugar: 11.3g
• Sodium: 27.8mg
• Fat: 22.4g
• Carbohydrates: 44.9g
• Cholesterol: 37.1mg