Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour, 20 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Servings:
18 Cookies
Ingredients
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 ⅔ cup sugar, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
  • ½ cup heavy cream
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, cream together 4 tablespoons of butter and ⅔ cup of sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, until combined.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
  3. Gradually, beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them at least 2 inches apart on greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
  5. Press an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb, or the end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, remove the cookies from the baking sheets, and place them onto wire racks to cool.
  6. Add the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar to a large nonstick frying pan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. The sugar will eventually melt, and turn into a dark liquid, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  7. Once the sugar has liquified, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, and mix until incorporated.
  8. Stir in the heavy cream. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove it from the heat, and stir in remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Pour the caramel into a medium bowl, and let cool slightly for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  9. Spoon the caramel into the center of each baked cookie. Then, sprinkle with the flaky sea salt, if desired. Let the caramel set, then serve.