I ran across this recipe in a magazine that I don't often trust for recipes but it looked like it had potential. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe and they turned out great. The recipe is very easy. Make sure to have parchment paper on hand before you begin. If you try to bake these without the parchment paper, moving them off of the cookie sheet before cooling, the heavy, hot caramel may fall out. Also, as a rule for making cookies, I always set out my butter and eggs on the counter for about half an hour before beginning. The consistency of the dough turns out much better.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag chewy caramels
1/4 cup toffee chips (or chopped toffee candy bars such as Heath candy bars)
1 Tbs
turbinado sugar (you may substitute with white sugar)
1. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugars (not including the tablespoon of turbinado sugar) until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture a little bit at a time and blend well. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes. However, the dough will be easier to handle if you let it chill for at least 1-2 hours.
3. When you are ready to begin baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place toffee chips and turbinado sugar in separate small bowls. (I prefer using turbinado sugar because it gives a beautiful look once baked. However, it will have the same taste if you choose to use white sugar.)
4. Wrap chilled dough around each caramel, forming a 1-inch ball and covering the caramel completely. Dip top of the dough ball into the candy topping and sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Cookies will look soft but do not over bake. Place pan on cooling rack to cool slightly and then move cookies still on the parchment paper to cooling rack or counter. Remember that if you do not allow these cookies to completely cool, the heavy, hot caramel may fall out of the bottom. Store in a covered container.
Yield: 4 dozen
I saw that Andes makes peppermint crunch baking chips as I was looking at all the holiday baking goods. Although I had no direct purpose when I bought them, I was determined to use them because they looked so fun and delicious. Here's the recipe I came up with and they turned out just as my little brain had imagined.
