Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg yolk, applesauce, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. The dough will be thick. Use a rubber spatula to form a cohesive ball.

Form Cookie Balls: Scoop out about 6 tablespoons (105g) of cookie dough per ball. You should get about 8 balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, pressing down slightly to flatten.

Bake: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Prepare the Apples: For this recipe, we used our Cinnamon Apple recipe. In medium size sauce pan, over medium-high heat, add in the diced apples, lemon juice and water. Once the apples begin to soften and turn color, add in the sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook for a few more minutes as the sugar will begin to caramelize and leave a nice sauce.

Make the Streusel: In a medium bowl, mix sugar, heat-treated flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Set aside.

Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and 5 tablespoons of heavy cream. Add more cream if needed for desired consistency.

Glaze the Cookies: Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the glaze onto each cooled cookie.

Add Apples: Evenly distribute the prepared apples on top of the cookies (about 1-2 tablespoons each).

Sprinkle Streusel: Top each cookie with the prepared streusel, dividing it evenly.