Caramel Cream Surprise Cookies

I always prefer baking over cooking. A beautifully decorated cake or a dainty cookie is so much more fun to prepare and serve than just another chicken dish! My practical-minded sister-in-law, however, prefers cooking since it’s harder to flop, and you just have to stick to the recipe without getting too creative. It works out great for both of us… every Yom Tov I swap dishes with my sister-in-law. She does some of my cooking and I do some of her baking.

Here’s a scrumptious cookie recipe, that is simple enough for the self-proclaimed baking challenged, yet sophisticated enough for all you bakers out there.

Fair warning: These cookies are THAT good! The delightful combination of chocolate and caramel is stepped up a notch with the subtle savory flavor of the added coarse sea salt. These cookies will please Cookie Monsters of all ages!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup Bakers Choice cocoa powder
2 teaspoons Baker’s Choice baking powder
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon Baker’s Choice vanilla extract
4 eggs
Baker’s Choice caramel cream (can use the Pareve version if preferred)
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
confectioner’s sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, oil, vanilla, and eggs together in one bowl (either by hand or with an electric mixer- I’ve tried both successfully).

Roll the dough to form balls. Using the back of a wooden spoon, make a large hole in the center of each ball. Fill the holes with as much caramel cream as you can (the more the merrier!). Sprinkle coarse sea salt into the caramel filling. Carefully seal the balls, completely covering the caramel stuffing.

If desired, roll the balls in a heavy coating of confectioner’s sugar.

Bake until the tops of the cookies are semi-firm when you press your finger in the center. Do not overbake… they should be fudgy and chewy. Cool and enjoy!