I love caramel. I have been trying for years to make good cookies containing or tasting like caramel. I have tried caramelizing the sugar, which was a huge pain and changed the flavor but didn’t give that wonderful chew that caramel candy has. I bought caramel-flavored syrup, which was horrible. I added caramel ice cream sauce in place of maple syrup, which tasted good but I was not pleased with the texture. The best I have ever been able to do is buy a Peter’s caramel log from Cash and Carry, cut off pieces and plop one on top of each cookie a couple of minutes before they come out of the oven. This was especially fabulous with the coconut version of Tad’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies.

This recipe is fun because the marshmallows melt and caramelize while they bake.

Recipe adapted from: Raley’s/Nob Hill Magazine

Yield: 48

 Ingredients:

20 ounce chocolate chips, divided

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 large eggs

3 cups flour, 13.5 ounces

2 tablespoon coffee grounds or espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter and 10 ounces of chocolate chips in microwave until melted but not hot. Stir to combine. Set aside.

3. Stir together sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.

4. Stir in chocolate mixture.

5. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and coffee.

6. Combine butter mixture and flour mixture.

7. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and marshmallows.

8. Scoop onto prepared baking sheets.

9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Note:

The original recipe called for refrigerating the dough. When I did this, it came out hard as a rock. If you are going to refrigerate them, you need to scoop them first.

I don’t really like butterscotch chips or pecans but they are fabulous in these wonderful cookies!

Source:

This recipe was forwarded to me by my daughter, McKenzie. It was originally from King Arthur Flour Company

Yield:

4 dozen 3″ cookies

 Ingredients:

1  1/3 cups pecan halves

2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon butterscotch, vanilla-butternut, or butter-rum flavor

1 teaspoon vinegar, cider or white

1 large egg

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 9 ounces

1  1/3 cups butterscotch chips, 11 ounces

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 375°. Prepare two baking sheets.

2) Place the pecans in a single layer in a pan and toast until darkened a bit and smelling toasty, about 8 to 9 minutes. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, 2/3 cup sugar, butter, shortening, salt, espresso powder, baking soda, vanilla, second flavor and vinegar. Beat until smooth and creamy.

4) Beat in the egg, again beating until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined.

5) Mix in the flour then the chips and nuts.

6) If you’re going to refrigerate the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Cookie dough refrigerated for 3 1/2 to 4 hours will spread moderately; chilled overnight, it will spread much less.

7) Mix the second 2/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons salt for the coating in a bowl. Scoop 1 1/2″ balls of dough into the sugar/salt mixture, rolling to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2″ between them on all sides.

8 ) Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes. Their edges will be chestnut brown and their tops a lighter golden brown. (For dough that’s been refrigerated, add 30 seconds to 1 minute to those baking times.) Remove them from the oven and cool on the pan until they’ve set enough to move without breaking.

 Notes:

I used regular, all purpose flour. I used raw sugar for the coating, which made them a bit crunchier. I didn’t refrigerate the dough and they came out great though the balls were a bit dicey to handle while dipping and placing on the baking sheets.

I bought the vanilla-butternut flavoring on line from, who else but King Arthur Flour Company

Recipe from: San Jose Mercury News

Serving Size: 60

Ingredients:

3  1/2 cups flour, 15.75 oz

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup real maple syrup

4 teaspoons vanilla

3  1/2 cup oats, 10.5 oz

3 cup dried cranberries, 14 oz

 Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and set aside.

3. Whip butter and sugars.

4. Stir in eggs, syrup and vanilla.

5. Blend in flour mixture until just combined.

6. Stir in oats.

7. Stir in cranberries.

8. Bake 13 minutes or until the edges and bottoms are just turning light brown.

Notes:

Caramel Sauce Option: Substitute caramel sauce for the maple syrup. Substitute chocolate chips for the cranberries. They taste great but the wonderful texture suffers a bit.

White Chip Option: Decrease the oats to 3 cups, add 1 1/3 cup white chips and decrease cranberries to 2 cups.

Pumpkin Option: Try pumpkin puree in place of maple syrup and increase sugar. (I have not yet done this but doesn’t it sound good?)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream shortening, butter and sugars until fluffy.

3. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

4. In separate bowl, sift together flour, soda and cinnamon.

5. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture.

6. Stir in chocolate chips and oats.

7. Form into balls on cookie sheets.

8. Bake 13 minutes or until just turning brown on the bottom and around the edges.

Notes:

Alternative: Add 3/4 teaspoon coconut flavoring with the vanilla and 1  1/2 cups shredded coconut with the chocolate chips.

Another thing to try: replace the shortening with coconut oil. Good flavor and creamy texture. Very good.