There’s a very particular kind of cookie in German baking: two thin shortcrust circles with a layer of spiced apple filling between them, the edge pressed together so the filling is sealed inside the cookie. Plätzchen mit Apfelfüllung, they’re called, and they appear on coffee tables the moment autumn’s apples start to fall. During baking, the grated apples concentrate and turn almost caramel-like, while cinnamon and chopped walnuts add a depth that an ordinary apple cake rarely reaches.
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In the air fryer, they bake at 160°C, and the powerful, circulating heat sits closer to the cookies than in a large oven. That gives an even, golden surface on small batches at a time, and you avoid heating up the whole oven for a single baking tray. In return, they demand patience: the dough has to chill before you cut out the circles.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Table of Contents:
Why I love apple-filled cookies in the air fryer
Apple filling and shortcrust pastry are a combination that can easily turn dull if the filling is allowed to cook out and make the base soggy. That’s exactly where the air fryer helps: the heat hits the cookies from all sides at once, and the 12 minutes in the basket is short enough that the filling stays juicy without soaking through the dough. The edge you’ve pressed together has time to set before the filling starts to bubble.
There’s also a practical side to it. You rarely bake all the cookies in one go anyway, and an air fryer basket suits a single batch perfectly. No heating up a large oven, no baking tray to rotate halfway through.
The difference between air fryer and oven
An air fryer is, in practice, a small convection oven with a powerful fan. The air moves faster and over a shorter distance, which is why you typically use a lower temperature than in the oven. At 160°C, the shortcrust pastry bakes through without the edges burning, while a regular oven often has to run hotter to give the same colour. On the other hand, there’s less space, so the cookies need air between them, or they’ll stay pale wherever they touch.
My kitchen test of apple-filled cookies
I’ve baked these cookies in my Cosori Dual Blaze, and 160°C for 12 minutes is the point where the shortcrust pastry is baked through and the edge has just barely taken on colour. Go any higher, and the edge of the thin circles browns long before the centre is done. With two baskets, I could run two batches at once, which makes a noticeable difference once the dough is cut out.
The actual work takes around 30 minutes, plus 45 minutes of chilling time in the fridge. All told, you’re looking at 87 minutes from start to finished cookie. The chilling time is non-negotiable: the first time, I cut it short, and the dough turned so soft that the circles pulled out of shape and the filling squeezed out at the seam during baking. The second time, with the full 45 minutes, the cookies held their shape all the way through.
Grate the apples coarsely and let them drain in a sieve while the dough chills. The water you pour off is exactly what would otherwise make the base soggy.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The common mistakes and how to avoid them
The mistake I see most often is filling that’s too wet. Grated apples release juice immediately, and if you pour it all straight between two dough circles, the moisture steams upward and softens the top layer from the inside. Let the filling drain in a sieve first. The next one is skipping the chilling time because the dough feels firm enough; it turns soft on the counter within a few minutes, and then the circles lose their shape and the edge opens up in the air fryer. And finally: don’t place the cookies close together. There needs to be air between each cookie, or they’ll stay pale where they touch. Icing sugar should only be dusted on once the cookies are completely cold, since on a warm cookie it melts and disappears into the surface.
How to serve apple-filled cookies
They’re best about an hour after baking, once the filling has settled and the pastry is still crisp. A few serving suggestions that work:
- With afternoon coffee and a dollop of lightly whipped cream on the side
- As dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, while the cookies are still warm
- On the cookie platter in December alongside brunkager and vanilla wreaths
- With a cup of black tea or hot cocoa for the little ones
Storage and reheating
The cookies keep for three to four days in a cookie tin with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature, not in the fridge, where moisture from the filling makes the pastry chewy. If you want them crisp again, give them a couple of minutes in the air fryer at 160°C and let them cool completely before dusting with icing sugar. They can also be frozen unassembled: cut out the circles, place them on a tray with baking paper between them, and assemble the cookies with freshly made filling when it’s time to bake.
Apple-filled cookies aren’t the quickest cookies you can make, but they’re among the most satisfying. A small, sealed piece of apple cake in cookie form. Once the dough is in the fridge, the rest takes care of itself.
FAQ
Firm, tart apples like Belle de Boskoop, Cox Orange or Ingrid Marie hold their shape and stand up well against the sugar. Very sweet, mealy varieties collapse into mush and make the filling watery.
Yes. The shortcrust dough can sit covered in the fridge for 24 hours. Take it out 10-15 minutes before cutting out the circles, so it’s easy to roll without cracking.
Recipe
Apple-filled cookies in the air fryer
Cooking Guide
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Rund udstikker - About 6 cm in diameter
- 1 Lille gryde
- 1 Parchment paper - For air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Lille si - For icing sugar
Shopping list
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
Apple filling
For brushing and decorating
- 1 pcs egg white (For brushing)
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (For dusting)
How to make it
Shortcrust pastry
- Put 250 g plain flour, 80 g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla sugar and 1 pinch salt in a mixing bowl. Add 150 g butter in cold cubes and 1 pcs egg yolk, and quickly bring the dough together with your fingertips, until it just barely holds together. Don’t work it any longer than necessary, or the cookies will turn tough.
- Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for 45 minutes. Cold dough is easier to roll out thinly and holds its shape better in the air fryer.
Apple filling
Cutting out and assembling
- Roll out the cold dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3-4 mm. Cut out circles with a round cutter of about 6 cm. You need an even number, so each base has a lid, and the recipe makes about 20 finished cookies.
- Place a small teaspoonful of the cooled apple filling in the centre of half the circles, leaving a clear border of about 1 cm all the way round.
- Brush the clear border with 1 pcs egg white, place a circle on top as a lid and press the edge firmly together with a fork, so the filling is completely sealed in. Loose edges will let the filling leak out during baking.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Line the basket with air fryer baking paper, and place the cookies in a single layer a couple of centimetres apart. Bake them at 160 °C for 12 minutes, until light golden. Turn them carefully after 8 minutes, so they get colour on both sides. Bake in several batches if your basket is small.
Serving
- Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then dust them with 2 tbsp icing sugar through a small sieve. They only become truly crisp once they’re cold, and icing sugar melts on a warm cookie.
Our notes for the recipe
Let the filling cool completely before assembling the cookies. Warm filling softens the shortcrust pastry from the inside, causing the cookies to spread out in the basket instead of keeping their round shape. Variation:
Swap the walnuts for hazelnuts or almonds, and stir a couple of tablespoons of chopped raisins into the filling for a sweeter version. A hint of grated lemon zest in the dough adds freshness to the apples. Serving:
Serve with coffee or hot cocoa. The cookies pack up beautifully in a cookie tin and make a lovely homemade hostess gift in December. Serving size:
The recipe makes about 20 cookies, equivalent to 4 servings of 5 pieces each. If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake in two or three batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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