Sixteenth Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Cookie Base:
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 Tbs vanilla extract
4 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
Caramel Filling (recipe below)
Chocolate Glaze (recipe below)

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Slowly beat in flour and salt until just combined.

Roll dough into very small balls (I use a level small cookie scoop to measure and then roll dough into balls). Place balls of dough onto ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheets. Use the back of a ½ tsp measuring spoon to make an indentation in each cookie ball. Lightly cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour. (If necessary, cookies can be placed close together on baking sheets while being chilled, then spaced further apart just before baking).

Prepare Caramel Filling while cookie.dough is chilling.  Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Redistribute chilled dough, if needed, so that there is about 1” of space between cookies. They will not spread much. Bake at 350°F for 12-13 minutes. Don’t overbake.

While cookies are still warm, press the back of a round 1 tsp measuring spoon into each cookie to make an indentation. Spoon about 1 tsp of the Caramel Filling into the center of each cookie. Place filled cookies onto wire racks to cool completely.

Prepare Chocolate Glaze. Drizzle cooled cookies with the warm glaze.  Let glaze harden before storing cookies.

Caramel Filling:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbs heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt

Combine butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, corn syrup, and heavy cream in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium low, maintaining a low but continuous simmer, until caramel reaches 235°F (soft ball stage), stirring occasionally. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.

Chocolate Glaze:
½ cup chocolate chips (I use bittersweet chips)
1 Tbs heavy cream
2 tsp coconut oil

Combine glaze ingredients in a Pyrex measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat for an additional 15 seconds, if needed, until melted. Add up to an additional ½ tsp coconut oil, if needed, until glaze can be drizzled.

NOTES:
-The homemade caramel filling recipe makes more caramel than you will need for 1 batch of cookies. I usually use part of the caramel in this recipe and the rest to make Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints  and/or Caramel Peanut Butter Thumbprints. It is also great drizzled over ice cream or pie.
-For a simpler caramel filling, melt (unwrapped) Kraft caramels with a little bit of heavy cream
-To drizzle the glaze, I use a skewer to poke a small hole in the corner of a quart or sandwich sized Ziploc bag, then add the warm glaze to the bag and seal shut.
-To store cookies in the freezer: Freeze cookies in a single layer until firm, then place frozen cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper. Return to freezer.

Makes about 4½ – 5 dozen cookies

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