Apple gingersnap cookies: Welcome to the #SundaySupper Autumn Apple Party

Fall. My favorite time of year. Rustling leaves. Rich colors. Sunlight that breaks in at an angle. Time to turn slowly inward, to the home, to the hearth, to reading books and poetry.

And of course fall serves up some of my favorite foods: rich stews, soups, roasts, made from and with squashes, pumpkins, root vegetables, brussels sprouts, and of course apples.

Summer apples start to appear in farmers markets in mid-summer, but they don't really start to show in large quantities in the markets with their great variety until mid to late August and then there's a flood of them and apple cider for weeks. So many different varieties, names, colors, textures. So much fun to try different varieties and find new favorites.

Apples are not native to the Americas--they originated around the area of Iran--but they have taken hold well here both agriculturally and culturally. One interesting fact about apples is that they are not true breeding. In other words, you could plant the seeds of an apple you love, and not one of the trees that came from that apple would produce apples like it. Most of the apples produced would, in fact, probably be inedible.

Sadly the vast variety of apples that used to exist is declining, in part because there are very few commercially grown varieties of apples. I hate to see the many varieties of apples and their wonderful names disappearing. So I say, get thee to a farmers market and try some new varieties of apples. Or find a farm where you can spend a day picking apples. Then come home and read Robert Frost's poem, "After Apple Picking" and enjoy the satisfaction of a day in the orchard.

This week's Sunday Supper is all about apples. I wanted to try making a cookie that I imagined a few months ago at the height of summer when I absolutely did not wish to bake: Apple gingersnap cookies. Apple and ginger are fantastic flavors together, and this cookie is no exception.

The cookie dough is easy to make, but you need to plan ahead. The dough should chill for at least 12 hours to let the flavors meld. I used boiled apple cider syrup in this recipe, which I discovered last fall, but you can use maple syrup, molasses, or even honey if you prefer, although doing so will change the flavor and the texture of the cookie a bit. For this cookie, I give the ingredients in milliliters and grams because I started with a gingersnap cookie from my favorite Swedish cookbook, Bonniers Stora Kokbok, and modified the recipe from there. Just about every measuring cup will give you the option of using milliliters, just be aware of the difference.

Ingredients    

• 100 ml water
• 400 ml sugar
• 300 grams unsalted butter
• 100 ml apple cider syrup
• 1 Tbsp ground cloves
• 1 Tbsp ground dried ginger
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 250 ml coarsely grated apple (from about 1 peeled, cored apple)
• 1,200 ml flour (plus more for flouring the board)
• 2 tsps baking soda

Directions

1. Mix half of the flour (600 ml) with the baking soda and set aside.
2. Heat water, sugar, butter, apple cider syrup, and spices in a pan on medium heat on the stove until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Then add the grated apples.
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter-sugar-spice-apple mixture with the flour-baking soda mixture. Then mix in the rest of the flour in bunches. (It's helpful to use a sturdy silicone spatula for this job.) If the dough starts to get too heavy to stir, feel free to get your hands in there and knead like you would a bread dough. (Your hands will smell amazing afterward, by the way.)
4. When the flour has been completely incorporated into the dough, sprinkle some flour on top, cover the bowl with plastic, and refrigerate the dough for 12 hours. 
5. On the day you plan to bake the cookies, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees (F). Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper (or use silicone mats if you have them). 
6. Liberally flour a baking board and roll out slightly less than a quarter of the dough very thinly. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes and fill one baking sheet.
7. Working on one baking sheet at a time, bake the cookies for 7 minutes. (Feel free to try to vary the time a few minutes up or down to get the consistency you want.)
8. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack and re-use the baking sheet for another batch. You will probably end making about 100 cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutters you are using.

Sunday Supper wouldn't be complete without all the wonderful contributions from the rest of the group. This week's batch of apple goodness is particularly wonderful. Check all these out! 

Soups, Salads, Starters, and Breads

Cinnamon Apple Chips- Shockingly Delicious

Apple Celery Salad- In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene

Mini Apple Pumpkin Pancakes – The Daily Dish Recipes

Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast- In the Kitchen with KP

Curried Apple and Leek Soup-Soni’s Food for Thought

Endive Spears Topped With Apple, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad- The Hand That Rocks the Ladle

Homemade Apple Jam – My Trials in the Kitchen

Caramel Apple Butter Cheesecake Dip- Chocolate Moosey

Caramel Apple Bread – famfriendsfood

Apple Pie Bread Baker Street

Apple, Bacon & Brie Popovers- I Run for Wine

Apple and Almond Brie Puff Pastry- Family Foodie

Apple, Leek and Gruyere Tarts- There and Back Again

Main Meals

Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin- The Meltaways

Apple-Glazed Meatballs- The Messy Baker

Apples & Buttons (Ham, Apples and Dumplings)- Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Skillet Pork with Sweet Spiced Apples- Mama Mommy Mom

Chicken Apple Meatloaf with Tarragon Tomato Sauce – Diabetic Foodie

Baked Tilapia Apple Crisp- Daddy Knows Less

Pork Tenderloin with Calvados Cream Sauce Sustainable Dad

#SundaySupper Pulled Pork Sandwich With Pickled Red Onions Kwistin’s Favorites

Sides

Harvest Rice- Webicurean

Wild Rice with Apples, Dried Cranberries, and Walnuts – Ruffles and Truffles

Apple Topped Sweet Potato Mash- Momma’s Meals

Warm Spice Pecan Raisin Apple Chutney- Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Desserts

Double Apple Pot Pie- What Smells So Good?

Apple Walnut Coffee Cake- The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Apple Streusel Cobbler- Big Bear’s Wife

Apple & Moroccan Cinnamon Gooey Sticky Buns- Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends

Spiced Caramel Apple Pie-Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence

Apple Pear Kuchen for #SundaySupper (Apfel Birnen Kuchen)- Galactosemia in PDX

Apple Strudel - Magnolia Days

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp with Caramel Sauce-Noshing with the Nolands

Apple Cheesecake- Vintage Kitchen

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars- Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting- From Fast Food to Fresh Food

Cinnamon Apple Dessert Chimichangas- Juanita’s Cocina

Nutella Apple Quesadilla- Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Apple Crisp Ice Cream- Cravings of a Lunatic

Bavarian Apple Torte- The Lovely Pantry

Streusel Apple Crumb Pie + Pie Freezer Kits- Meal Planning Magic

French Apple Cobbler with Cinnamon-Maple Whipped Cream Weekend Gourmet

Chunky Apple-Apricot Bread Pudding- Comfy Cuisine

Apple Butter Spice Cake – Home Cooking Memories

Apple Pie and Custard- Happy Baking Days

#GlutenFree Deep Dish Carmel Apple Pie- Cooking Underwriter

Apple Brownies That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Country Apple Dumplings- Mom’s Test Kitchen

Apple-Gingersnap Cookies- Tora’s Real Food

Apple and Cranberry Turnovers- Flour on my Face

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze- Hip Foodie Mom

Caramel Frosted Apple Cookies- No One Likes Crumbley Cookies

Apple and Pecans Cake- Basic N Delicious

Apple Pull Apart Monkey Bread- Gotta Get Baked

Beverages

Spiced Apple Ale Small Wallet Big Appetite

Apple Chia Tea- Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite apple recipes! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’d also love to feature your apple recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!