Cream together 12 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup each of granulated and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Add in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, mixing well until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3.4 ounces of instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 2 ½ teaspoons of apple pie spice or ground cinnamon.

Gradually incorporate this dry mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.

Gently fold in 1 large diced Honeycrisp apple and 21 cut-up soft caramel candies into the cookie dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop spoonfuls of the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden and centers are set but still soft.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.