12 Days of Christmas Cookies Day 4: Salted Caramel & Chocolate Espresso Thumbprint Cookies

 

Guys, I have found them.  The world's most amazing cookies.

I am absolutely CRAZY for these cookies.

Chocolate?  Yes!  Coffee?  Uh huh!  Caramel?  You betcha!  I'm pretty sure that is the ultimate, decadent, delicious most amazing combination possible.  Possibly even better than chocolate and mint.  Maybe even better than almonds and chai.  Maybe.  

Why are these cookies so amazing?  Let me count the ways.  First, there is the espresso, which you can both smell and taste.  Does anything in this world have such an intoxicating smell as coffee?  Not in my book.

Next there is the salted caramel.  You know how much I love salty and sweet.  This cookie has a mild salty aftertaste.  Don't let this description scare you off!  There is something about salt that enhances the carameliness and the chocolatey-coffeeness.  It lingers on your tongue!

These cookies are kind of my own creation...kind of.  I modified and combined two separate Canadian Living thumbprint cookie recipes to make this the ultimate, most marvelous, amazingly awesome thumbprint cookie.

For the Cookie

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Adapted from Canadian Living.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add vanilla and egg.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt.  Add gradually to wet mixture.  Mix thoroughly.      

Roll 1 tsbp into a ball.  Using your fingers (my thumb was too big!), form a depression in the middle of the cookie.  Work the dough into a bird's-nest shaped cookie.

Bake for 12 or so minutes, until cookies are cooked through.  Cool on baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Allow to cool completely before filling.

For the Salted Caramel:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light-coloured corn syrup
• 1/4 cup whipping cream, (35%)
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp sea salt plus more for sprinkling

Recipe from Canadian Living.

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a small pot.  Heat over medium heat, until corn syrup begins to simmer.  Simmer for around 4 minutes, until mixture turns to a dark amber color.  Add whipping cream, butter, vanilla, and sea salt, stirring constantly.  The original recipe says to cook for 2 more minutes until thickened, but mine was thick almost immediately.  

Cool for a few minutes, then spoon into cookies.  Sprinkle with sea salt and allow caramel to set.

**TIP: if your caramel begins to set before you have filled all your cookies, reheat over low, stirring frequently.