This cookie covers all of the bases; with a crunchy brownie cookie crust, coated in pecans, filled with a soft caramel, sprinkled with a touch of sea salt, and then drizzled with chocolate. Enjoy them with a tall glass of milk and there’s not much more you could ask for from a simple cookie. If you don’t have time to make cookie dough, try using a boxed brownie mix to make the base of the cookie dough instead. Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Brownie Cookies would be a comparable recipe, and the cream cheese in the batter will also help to add additional moisture. You will only need to use the first four ingredients of the Duncan Hines recipe, and you can choose to omit the refrigeration of the dough if you are in a rush.
Ingredients:
Cookie:
- 1 1/3 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 2 Eggs, Separated, Plus 2 Additional Egg Whites
- 2 Tablespoons Vanilla
- 4 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 1/2 Cups Pecans, Finely Chopped
Caramel Filling:
- 1 (5.5-oz.) Bag Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels
- 5 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
- Sea Salt
Chocolate Drizzle:
- 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
Directions:
- Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg yolks one at a time; mix until well combined. (Do not use any egg whites at this time.)
- Add vanilla and heavy cream; mix until well combined.
- On low speed, slowly add flour mixture, mixing until combined. Do not over mix.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.
- Place chopped pecans in another bowl.
- Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon or your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
- Bake cookies 12 minutes.
- Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations.
- Allow cookies to cool.
- Microwave caramels and heavy cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Spoon or pour mixture evenly into the cookie indentations.
- Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Allow cookies to set for an hour.
- Microwave chocolate chips in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Place chocolate into a small Ziploc bag, snip a tiny piece of the end off, and then drizzle the cookies with the chocolate.
- Allow cookies to set for a couple of hours.
Suggestions:
- Use a Decorating Squeeze Bottle to pour the caramel into the cookies.
- You can place the cookies in the refrigerator to quicken the caramel and chocolate hardening process.
- This recipe will make anywhere between 4 or 5 dozen cookies, depending on how big you roll your balls.
Improvements:
- Don’t bother with rolling the cookies in egg whites and pecans, place the pecans on top of the caramel filling instead; then drizzle with chocolate. It’s less messy, and will also allow you to use a smaller amount of pecans. You may want to toast the pecans in a sauté pan for a few minutes, since they will not be going in the oven.
- For autumn, add a touch of cinnamon to the caramel filling; 1/2 teaspoon should be just about the right amount.
