In a large bowl add the 1 stick of room temp butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar and mix together using a hand mixer, until it turns fluffy and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again.

Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and mix again until a cookie dough forms. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour. Around 10-15 minutes before you take the dough out begin making the apple filling.

Chop the apples all up into tiny pieces and make sure the skin is off. In a small saucepan over medium to low heat add the apples, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar and stir until the mixture is melted and starts bubbling.

 Combine the water and cornstarch together and stir. Pour that into the saucepan and stir and let simmer for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. After the 5 minutes is up turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. 

While the apples are cooling roll out the cookie dough balls. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to a small bowl and set aside. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Roll out 9 even balls of dough and roll each one into the bowl of sugar, coating the entire thing in sugar. Place on the baking sheet.

Flatten the cookie some with your hand and make a big indent with your finger in the middle of the cookie for the apples to sit in. Add the apple mixture into the middle of the cookie, about 1 tbsp.

 Add to the preheated oven and bake for 14 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Drizzle the caramel all over top of the cookies and sprinkle just a bit of brown sugar on top! Enjoy!