This recipe I have to update concerning the Hershey's Sea Salt Chips. I have seen several questions about where people can find the chips. Since Hershey Town is only 30 minutes from my house, I decided to call them. A polite young woman apologized, telling me that the Caramel Sea Salt Chips were discontinued.
I thought great now what. I have recipes with these chips in them, so I had to come up with an alternative.
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Ingredients
- Butter unsalted
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Sea Salt
- Dried Regular Cherries
- Caramel Chips
- Super fine sugar
Create the Caramel Sea Salt Chip
I normally use Diamond Kosher Salt for all of my baking; it brings out the flavors in my cookies and spreads evenly throughout my dry ingredients simply by using a whisk. I also use this salt for my everyday cooking.
Diamond Kosher Salt is made of sodium chloride without other additives. They say that because of that fact, it has a cleaner taste than other salts that contain minerals. But I am trying to recreate the Caramel Sea Salt taste to replace the Hershey's Caramel Sea Salt chips they discontinued.
I could not find caramel sea salt chips from other venders, so I could at least create the taste by adding caramel chips and sea salt. I bought Lieber's Caramel Chips from Amazon and found Field Day Fine Sea Salt at my grocery store or Fruitful Yield online. Just know that the caramel chips are small, but I like that they added more chips to my cookies.
Honestly, my husband loves these cookies and didn't notice I had combined flavors to have the same taste. I found the solution to my problem. I tried regular caramel bits and cut-up caramel squares, but they melt and stick to the cooling rack after baking. So, unless I find another solution, I will use this as a replacement.
Mixing the Cherry and Caramel Cookies
These are great Saturday morning cookies to make for the family. It only takes about an hour and a half from start to finish. So easy and good!
I begin by weighing out the powdered sugar and setting it aside. You can measure, but weighing out my dry ingredients is the best way to make consistent cookies. Next, weigh the flour and add the baking powder and sea salt. Run a whisk through to blend.
Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixer bowl and blend on medium speed for a couple of minutes.
Scrape the bowl down and gradually add the powdered on a low mixer speed until it is incorporated then turn the mixer to a medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
Next, add the egg and the vanilla extract and blend that through the cookie dough. The next thing is to scrape down the bowl and on a low speed gradually add the flour mixture. Don't mix for too long just until the flour is absorbed.
Over-mixing the flour will make your cookies dry and crumbly. If you still have some flour grumbles at the bottom of your mixer bowl, grab a good spatula to bring it together.
Finally, add the caramel chips and the dried cherries to the batter and mix for 30 seconds or less. You don't want to break up the cherries, so use the spatula to ensure they are evenly distributed.
Cover loosely and chill for 1 hour.
Baking Sugar Coated Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C).
First, I get set up for rolling the cookie balls with sugar. I am using a super fine sugar which you can use a couple of types. I am using a superfine sugar by Dominio. But I also like Caster Sugar by India Tree. It is a little more in price but either of these will work well.
So my setup is a cookie sheet pan lined with parchment paper, a cookie scoop, and a plate with the superfine sugar for rolling cookie balls.
I use a medium scoop, or you can use a spoon. The goal is to make the same size cookies so they bake evenly. So scoop out a ball and roll it in your hands, then roll it in the sugar.
I take 2 or 3 fingers and gently press down on the tops of the cookie balls so they are not so round. It also helps them from rolling when you move the sheet pan to the oven.
Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 11 to 13 minutes. Move to a cooling rack after you take them from the oven.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
There are several reasons that this could happen. One thing is that it might need a touch more flour. Baking can be tricky when it comes to measurements. If the recipes have weight with the ingredients and you have a scale, it is better to weigh. It is the best way to get the correct amount.
Another reason is your oven may be running on the hotter side, which causes your cookies to be overbaked. I check on mine about a minute or two before the recommended time.
You can try to stick your prepared cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before moving them to the oven. Sometimes a cold sheet pan, and cookie dough can help. Unfortunately, sometimes it is all about the ingredients and measurements if you can invest in a cheap scale, it is better to weigh your ingredients.
Cherries go well with white or dark chocolate chips. For nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, or even walnuts. So yes, you can certainly add more goodies to your cookies.
Love Cherries More to Try
Recipe
Cherry Caramel Sea Salt Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 4 ounces (4 ounces) Cream Cheese
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 (1) Egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- 1 ¾ cup (218.75 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Sea Salt
- 1 cup (138 g) Dried Regular Cherries left whole
- ½ cup (118.29 g) Caramel Chips
- ½ cup (100 g) Super fine sugar
Instructions
- Measure or weigh the powdered sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, and sea salt, running a whisk through to blend.
- Add the butter and cream cheese to a stand or handheld mixer and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Shut the mixer off, scrape down the sides, and turn the mixer back on to a low speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated, then turn the mixer to medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and then the one egg and mix through. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture. Try not to over mix.
- Turn the mixer off and add the cherries and the caramel chip to the batter. I turn the mixer on low and mix for about 15 seconds. You don't want to mix them too long with an electric mixer; it will tear the cherries apart. I take the mixer bowl off the stand and, using a spatula, distribute the cherries and caramel chips evenly throughout the cookie dough. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie pans with parchment paper. I take a flat plate and pour the superfine sugar onto it. Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Take a scoop of cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop, and roll it into a ball with your hands, then roll it in the superfine sugar. Add twelve balls to a cookie sheet pan. I slightly press down on the tops so they will not roll around. Bake for 11-13 minutes and move to a cooling rack once you take them out of the oven.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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