Brownie Cookies with Salted Caramel or Peanutbutter Filling

Brownie Cookies with Salted Caramel Creme Filling

June 17th, 2012 § 56

This is Donna Hay’s brownie cookie recipe. I have been eye-balling this for sometime now every since I saw it on Pinterest. The cookie portion is dead-on like the kind of brownie I like—soft center, chewy edge, and chocolatey, but not so dense and fudge like that you need to guzzle milk to clear your throat of a chocolate coating. At the center of this brownie sandwich cookie is a caramel creme filling that lightens up the chocolate and gives the whole ensemble a cloud-like textural contrast.

Brownie Sandwich Cookies with Salted Caramel Creme Filling

So with Father’s Day today it was perfect timing. Matt loves brownies and since I’ve made him a salted dessert lover, especially salted caramel, I swapped the peanut butter filling for just that—a salted caramel creme filling.

Along with that, the recipe is extremely fast to make and easy enough that the little guy could help me with it. We gave it to Matt and he loved them as much as I did. As for the little guy, he opted to just eat the cookie portion with milk.

If you are a brownie fan you will love this recipe for the brownie cookie alone or as a brownie sandwich cookie. I’m such a fan, this will probably be the way I have my brownie for the next few months, especially since I have tendency for obsessive behavior.

A few notes:

• The only adaptation I made to this Donna Hay brownie cookie was to swap out the filling from peanut butter to salted caramel.
• If you can, make the caramel portion since it will provide for a deeper flavor. Click here for a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to make homemade caramel.
• For the chocolate portion I used a Ghiradelli’s dark chocolate.

Brownie Cookies with Salted Caramel Creme Filling

Makes 24 one-and-a-half inch sandwich cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bake sheet with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

Brownie Cookie (adapted from Donna Hay)

• 12 oz. chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder, sifted

Salted Caramel Creme Filling 

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioner sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salted
• 1/4 cup caramel (Make sure caramel is cooled if making homemade. Clickhere for homemade caramel sauce recipe)

Instructions:

To make brownie cookies:

1. Place 7oz. of the chocolate and the butter in a saucepan over low heat and gently stir until melted and smooth. Set aside.
2. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add in flour, baking powder, melted chocolate mixture, remaining 5 oz. of chocolate and mix to combine. Set aside to to stand for 10 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoonful of the mixture, onto parchment lined bake sheet. Bake for about 8–10 minutes or until puffed and cracked. Allow to cool completely on trays.

To make caramel creme filling:

1. Place butter in a bowl and beat until creamed. Add in confectioner sugar and salt and beat until light combined. Add in caramel and beat until combined.

Assembly:

1. Spread a teaspoon and a half of caramel creme on underside of one brownie cookie and place a second brownie cookie bottom side down on top frosting.

Baking Basics: How to Make Caramel Sauce

December 22nd, 2011 § 17

I’m getting down to basics today with a very detailed step-by-step picture to making homemade caramel sauce. For this baking basic, I will be going through the wet process vs. dry process for making caramel sauce. The wet process utilizes water to dissolve the sugar (stay tuned for the dry method tutorial).  I’ve done this tutorial before in a previous post but not as detailed. Today, I’m breaking it out on its own with a color chart for the different stages of caramelizing since many of you have had a few questions regarding certain steps-specifically, “What is dark amber”. 

How to Make Caramel Sauce

For this caramel sauce tutorial, I will go through the different color stages including the dark amber that you so often see me directing you towards in my dessert recipes. You will often hear me refer to it as a ‘burnt caramel flavor’. I should mention it’s not truly burnt, since burnt caramel is disgusting and not usable. But it’s a term adopted because it’s the smoky point during the dark amber stage. I like my caramel taken just beyond that smoky point by about 30 seconds before I add my heavy cream and butter. This is when the sugar caramelizes to the point of actually imparting a deep flavor rather than just being sweet. 

I don’t have temperatures listed, as the caramelizing process moves too fast to grab an accurate reading. I also don’t have times listed once the coloring starts since there are too many variables such as different types of stove ranges, types of pots used, size of pots – all these things will change the time. When you’re working with caramel things move real fast once the first shade of amber appears. 

Trust me when I say you will learn to use your nose and eyes to gauge the readiness of when and how you like your homemade caramel sauce. Don’t worry if you mess it up the first, second or third time-I’m sure most of us did. Luckily, sugar is cheap and it’s like riding bike once you nail it, you won’t forget it. 

Step-by-Step Tutorial to Making Homemade Caramel Sauce with Caramel Color Chart for Light to Medium to Dark Amber Caramelizing

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Makes approximately 14-16oz 

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoon butter
• ¼ c heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, for salted caramel sauce)

Instructions: 

1. Place sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat and stir the until sugar has dissolved. Dissolve any crystals forming on the side with a wet pastry brush.
2. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high.
3. At this point do not stir the mixture directly. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute or so. 
4. After 3-4 minutes the mixture will turn from a light amber to medium amber and then finally to a dark reddish brown color. Once the mixture starts to smoke, add the butter and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.

Notes: 

• The longer the caramel cooks the harder it will become as it cools.
• If after cooling the caramel is too hard, re-heat it and add more water, milk  or heavy cream to thin it.
• If after cooling the caramel is too liquid-y, make a second batch and cook the caramel slightly longer, then mix the two together.
• For a deeper caramel flavor add your butter and cream after the mixture has smoked for about 30 seconds.  

peanut butter frosting

•  1 cup (160g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar mixture
•  1 cup (280g) smooth peanut butter
•  80g butter
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  ⅓ cup (80ml) single (pouring) cream