I have been wanting to make apple cinnamon bagels for quite a while. The idea popped into my head and I could not stop thinking about it. However, I wasn’t sure how to go about making them. I was worried that the apple flavor wouldn’t come through, or that the apples would add way too much liquid to the dough and it wouldn’t come together correctly. I brainstormed and brainstormed some more, and eventually came up with my solution – caramelized apples. Apples cooked until tender have far more flavor than before cooking, and also have much of the moisture removed. Score! I’m please to report, this technique was very successful and these bagels were every bit as good as I had hoped. You could really taste the delicious cooked apples in every bite, and the streusel topping added some extra cinnamon flavor.
The amount of flour needed for the dough will vary a lot depending on how much liquid is added by the apples. I added what seemed like a lot, and probably should have added even more. I think these bagels need to bake a little bit longer than normal, maybe 12-14 minutes. It did seem like the leftover bagels that I ate on subsequent mornings were slightly more moist than the fresh ones, but a quick burst in the toaster took care of that. The streusel topping did have a weird consistency on the leftover bagels and I think for future batches, I will only top the bagels that will be eaten that day. The rest could be topped and popped into the oven to rewarm/bake just until the streusel was baked. These are truly a treat to wake up to and I know I will be making them again and again!