This is my take on the Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies I found in the Betty Crocker Super Simple Chicken Recipes cook book (page 73 & 74). And no there is not, in fact, chicken in this recipe. :)
This is the first time I've made these cookies so it took me FOREVER and I messed up a few times. I am not too good at making sugar cookies... they actually infuriate me. I have never made shortbread before, and didn't realize how alike shortbread dough is to sugar cookie dough. I'll know better next time.
Here's the recipe I followed from the cook book...
Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies
(aka Inside-Out Twix Cookies)
Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (whoops! I just read *unsalted* - I used salted, my bad)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour (I ended up using a lot more than that to get the consistency I needed to get the dough in a more solid state.)
Topping:
1 bag (14oz) caramels, unwrapped (or if you're like us, better get two bags to start with so when one mysteriously goes missing, you have a back up.)
2 Tbsp. milk
4 oz.semi sweet baking chocolate, chopped (I used a half of a bag of chocolate chips.)
1 Tbsp. butter (I also used some Crisco)
1 tsp. coarse (kosher or sea) salt (Don't be like me and go to the store and grab the sea salt assuming that all sea salt is coarse... it's not by the way - read the label)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups butter with electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Beat in sugar and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour until blended. Divide dough in half. Between 2 sheets of waxed paper (I used parchment paper), roll 1 portion of dough 1/4 in. thick. Cut with 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. (I used the rim of a small plastic cup.) On ungreased cookie sheet, place cutouts about 2 inches apart. Repeat with second portion of dough. (I always always always use parchment paper on the cookie sheets whenever I make cookies, I suggest you do too.)
2. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set and just barely light golden- do not overbake. (I took them out when they had been in for 11 ish minutes. Some of them didn't look like they had changed color... that's ok.) Remove from cookies sheets to cooling racks; cool completely.
3. In medium microwaveable bowl, microwave caramels and milk uncovered on High 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. (I found that I needed to nuke it for just a little longer and I think I put more milk in than I was supposed to, so I poured a little out. At one point, I thought that there was no way these caramels were going to mix with the milk and become smooth and creamy... but it does.) Frost each cookie with about 1 rounded teaspoon caramel mixture. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate and 1 Tablespoon butter uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. (I was getting ticked because my chocolate was not melting properly into ooey gooeyness like it's supposed to, so I added a Tablespoon of Crisco to the chocolate mixture, and it made it the perfect consistancy.) Drizzle chocolate over caramel on each cookie. Sprinkle generously with salt. Let stand until set.
Husband Review:
The first thing he said was "eh, they're not bad." Hmmm, after almost 3 hours of working on these things, they're not bad. He sat down and said that they reminded him of something else, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He said they tasted like a candy bar...not a KitKat, but a...... and then it hit me. It tastes like a Twix. It's got everything a Twix has, but it's inside out, hence my new name for this cookie. I didn't think the cookie was too bad, but it will be a LONG time before I make them again because of the work that went into them. I ended up taking this cookies to a party and everyone there loved them. I think the reason that we didn't like them as much as everyone else is because we are programmed to prefer the cookies that are full of chocolate flavor. These have more of a shortbread cookie flavor. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think!
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