FOOD NEWS
Supercharge Your Cookies With An Easy Caramel Stuffing
BY SYLVIA TOMCZAK
For cookies with an extra special touch, stuff them with caramel. Achieving a molten caramel center may seem hard, it's much easier if you avoid making the candy from scratch.
Use store-bought caramels to stuff your cookies. Select chewy varieties rather than hard kinds, because their soft texture will allow them to melt in the oven properly.
You can also experiment with flavored varieties, such as sea salt caramels or chocolate-covered caramels. The type of cookie you use needs to be a little more specific.
"Drop" cookies, or cookies where you plop scoops of dough directly onto a baking sheet, are ideal. The dough is sturdy enough to cushion the caramel without any leaks or messes.
Caramel’s warm and buttery profile is a great match for chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. A caramel filling can also balance spiced ginger snaps or snickerdoodles.
Use one caramel per cookie. If your caramels are square, shape them into spheres using the warmth from your hands or by microwaving them for a few seconds.
Scoop out a portion of cookie dough and form it into a ball. Place a caramel in the center, cover it with the remaining dough, and make sure no caramel is exposed.
Chill the dough balls before baking them to prevent premature melting and oozing of the caramel. Once the cookies are baked, let them cool briefly before eating them.