I came up with what I thought was an excellent idea for flavors for this week's cookie. But when I pulled it all together, I was not fond of it, so I started over. On more than one occasion, I randomly go down the aisle where the fruits and nuts are packaged and pick up things for the next couple of weeks. Thank goodness I had some cherries, which looked promising. I just wasn't sure what to put with them in a cookie.
I started testing different spices, nuts, and flavored chips to see what might work. Deciding not to use nuts and the spice selection, I wanted to keep it simple and only use one. After trying a few spices, the great vanilla extract won hands down. I could have used chocolate chips with the cherries, which I might do later, but for now, fall was on my mind. Caramel was just what I needed. Using flavor chips is as easy as adding chocolate chips to chocolate chip cookies.
So this week's cookies are simple to make and pack a lot of flavors. So hoping you enjoy this week's cookies.
Cherry Caramel Sea Salt Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- ½ cup Butter unsalted 1stick room temperature
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese
- 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar 169 g
- 1 Egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1-¾ cup All-purpose flour 210 g
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 cup Dried Regular Cherries left whole
- ½ cup Caramel Chips
- ½ cup Super fine sugar
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
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.
- In a stand or handheld mixer, add the butter and the cream cheese and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Shut the mixer off and scrape down the sides and turn the mixer back on to a low speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar till incorporated and 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 and add the flour with the baking powder. Once the flour has been mixed through, I turn the mixer off, and I scrape down the sides and across the bottom. Then turn the mixer on for another 30 seconds.
- 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 30 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; I finish distributing the cherries and the caramel chips evenly throughout the cookie dough. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line two cookie pans with parchments paper. I take a small cereal bowl and pour the superfine sugar into the bowl. Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Take a scoop of cookie dough by using a medium cookie scoop, and using your hands, roll it into a ball then roll it in the superfine sugar. The dough will be tacky, but after you roll the ball around the superfine sugar, the coating helps to keep the ball shape. 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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