12 days of christmas baking - day 11: bourbon-sea salt caramels

i saw this recipe in the holiday issue (i think?) of bon appetit magazine sometime last month. it sounded easy enough so i took a snapshot of the recipe thinking i would make it this holiday season. well, sure enough, i did make it. and the result? some very sweet and tasty treats. instead of your usual heavy cream in caramel, this recipe calls for a can of condensed milk. and yes, it's very sweet. the added sea salt on top really balances out the sweetness and makes it a tad more interesting.

the recipe is pretty straight forward and simple. of course, the thing is, you just gotta make sure you have a candy thermometer handy. you really do need it for these kind of things. they're so worth it, i'm so glad we have one. :) oh, these guys are somewhat soft so i wouldn't let them sit at room temperature too long if you're not eating them all right away. i say you should keep them chill in the fridge and help yourself whenever you want one. or if you're making it for a party or whatever, then sure serve them at room temperature, just keep in mind it would get a little soft and sticky.

below's the recipe should you be interested in making these yourselves. they're really good and you definitely get that hint of bourbon. of course, you can make it alcohol-free too. just use good old vanilla extract in place of the bourbon. enjoy! :)


i love the added bourbon in this caramel recipe. it gives you just the perfect hint of the bourbon and the added sea salt really balances out all that sugar. yum!

bourbon-sea salt caramels
recipe from bon appetit magazine

ingredients:

• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• flaky sea salt (such as maldon)

directions:

1. Lightly coat an 8x8" baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 sides; spray parchment.
2. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture turns a deep amber color, 8–10 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and whisk in sweetened condensed milk and butter (mixture will bubble vigorously) until smooth. Fit pan with candy thermometer and return to medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until thermometer registers 240°F. Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon and kosher salt. Pour into prepared pan; let cool. Sprinkle caramel with sea salt, cut into 3/4" pieces, and wrap individually in parchment paper.

DO AHEAD: Caramels can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store wrapped tightly in plastic in airtight container at room temperature. Or you can keep it chill in the fridge like me. :)

makes a bunch depending on how you cut it. enjoy. :)

check out last year's day 11 recipe: peppermint bark

12 days of christmas baking - day 7: caramel-filled chocolate cookies

i have been wanting to bake some chocolate cookies with caramel filling after stumbling upon some crazy good-looking photos of these cookies on pinterest. so, finally, here is my take on it! i didn't have any soft caramels lying around the house and didn't feel up to making my own from scratch so i used some kraft caramel bits and heated it in the microwave with a little bit of water to water it down so that it would be soft enough for a filling (but not too liquify like a sauce). the end result? some tasty chocolate cookies, for sure.

so below's the recipe should you want to bake a batch yourself. these cookies are best eaten warm. you definitely cannot pass up warm baked cookies this time of year, especially when they're filled with oozing caramel. yummmm-y! :)


these chocolate cookies with caramel filling are best enjoy warm. make sure you only cool the cookies slightly so that the caramel is still oozing out of them when you break into it.


soft caramels produce the best results in these caramel-filled chocolate chip cookies.


any chocolate and caramel lover would not be able to resist this tasty treat. so go ahead and bake a bunch and give it away as a mini gift this holiday season!

chocolate cookies with caramel filing

ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 12 soft caramels
• some sea salt (for sprinkling, optional)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°f. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a medium bowl.
3. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a medium-size bowl with a handmixer like i do), beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. add the sugar and mix on low speed until well combined. then mix on medium speed until the mixture gets lighter in color and texture becomes fluffier, about 5 minutes.
4. with the mixer on medium speed, add the egg and mix until well-incorporated and very smooth, about 30 seconds. then mix on medium speed for 30 more seconds. feel free to scrape down the sides to get all the mixture in.
5. then add the flour mixture. mix on low speed just until uniform in texture. mix on low until everything is combined.
6. using a cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon in size), scoop out 1-1/2 tablespoons and form into a ball. place them on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. then using your finger or thumb, make an indentation in the center and put in your soft caramel (or you can just lightly squash in the caramel). at this point, you can sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on top of the caramel if you like and cover it up with a little bit of dough to seal it. make sure the caramel isn't visible so that when it bakes it will be contained until you break into it.
7. bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch and the surface is no longer glossy, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
8. let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing. then eat and enjoy! best enjoy warm. of course, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. or if you don't want to use all the dough at once, the dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

makes a dozen 3-inch cookies.

check out last year's day 7 recipe: peppermint and coffee nutella french macarons

white chocolate chip chocolate cookies inspired by blue bottle coffee

i have to admit i am a sucker for baked goods these days. who knew i'd love cookies, cakes and pastry so much? chocolate chip cookies are for sure one of my favorite cookies. double or triple chocolate is even better!

this recipe here calls for two kinds of chocolate. actually, you can even throw in more if you prefer, but i wanted to keep it simple so i just went with the two (chocolate cocoa and white chocolate). these were inspired by the ever so popular and san francisco-famous blue bottle coffee double chocolate chip cookies. their double chocolate chip cookies are just delish! if you're ever in san francisco, you must stop by for a cup of their famous drip coffee and double chocolate chip cookies. it is for sure the perfect anytime snack/indulgence.

below is the recipe for these delicious (white) chocolate chip cookies inspired by blue bottle coffee. i absolutely love how you get both the sweetness of the chocolate and hint of the sea salt in one bite. when making these i had forgotten to put in the sea salt with the sugar during the step where you mix the butter and sugar together. so i threw it in at the very end with the white chocolate. i have to say i'm so glad i did that by mistake because i think the hit of the sea salt with the chocolate and sugar is absolutely wonderful! feel free to make some yourself and let me know how you like it. oh, and did i mention, these also make for the perfect homemade gifts as well?! happy baking and eating (and giving)! ;)


these blue bottle coffee-inspired chocolate chip cookies are just divine. they melt in your mouth and is so, so, good.

white chocolate chip chocolate cookies
inspired by blue bottle coffee

ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° f. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.
3. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a medium-size bowl with a handmixer), beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. add the sugar and mix on low speed until well combined. then mix on medium speed until the mixture gets lighter in color and texture becomes fluffier, about 5 minutes.
4. in a separate bowl, combine the egg and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until well blended.
5. with the mixer on medium speed, add the egg mixture very slowly, in a steady stream, and mix until well-incorporated and very smooth, about 30 seconds. then mix on medium speed for 30 more seconds. feel free to scrape down the sides to get all the mixture in.
6. then add the flour mixture. mix on low speed just until uniform in texture. scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add in the white chocolate chips and sea salt. mix on low until everything is combined.
7. using a cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon in size), scoop out 2 tablespoons and form into a ball. place them on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
8. bake for 8 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch and the surface is no longer glossy, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
9. let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing. then eat and enjoy! best enjoy warm. of course, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. or if you don't want to use all the dough at once, the dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

makes 15-16 3-inch cookies. enjoy, because these cookies are really, really good! :)

note: you can let the dough sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 3 hours if you like before baking (i think blue bottle says you should put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours?!). i believe they're supposed to come out even better. personally, i cannot wait that long and i don't like it when the dough is a little tough to handle so i just bake my dough right away. the cookies still come out delicious regardless.