Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

From: Martha Stewart magazine

Ingredients:
3 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
24 caramels, halved

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter; beat on medium speed until combined but some pea-size butter chunks remain. Add chocolate chips and beat until combined, then beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Scoop dough into 4-oz balls (about 1/3 cup); make a deep, wide hollow in each center. Enclose three pieces of caramel in each, roll back into a ball. Place 6 balls on each sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.

Bake, with one sheet on each rack, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, swap sheet positions, and bake until centers are almost but not completely set (press gently on tops with your fingers to check), 7-10 minutes more. Remove from oven. Bang sheets on a counter a few times to create cracks in tops of cookies. Place sheets on a wire rack; let cool completely.

What we did differently:
I halved the recipe and I'm SO GLAD we did. These cookies were MASSIVE!! Other than that I didn't change anything, but I will give you a tip, because I've made a lot of stuffed cookies in my day. Make sure the dough completely covers the caramel on the oven, or the caramel will ooze out of the bottom of the cookie and make it fall apart easier.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Love, love! These are SO good and super easy to make!

Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Bars

From: Buns in my Oven

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons McCormick® Roasted Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 package (14 ounces) caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup milk
Read more at http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2012/06/27/cinnamon-caramel-swirl-bars/#FKFtWzlt8gD5ToeH.99

1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 pkg (14 oz) caramels
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Mix brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

Reserve 1 cup of the batter. Spread remaining batter into lightly greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes or until firm.

In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, heat the caramels and the milk, stirring often, for 2 or 3 minutes or until completely melted. Cool 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over baked layer in pan, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edges. Drop reserved 1 cup batter by spoonfuls over caramel layer. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Lift from pan. Cut into bars.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I mean, look at the ingredients. How can you go wrong? Love recipes like this and I'll be making this one again.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars

From: Here

Ingredients:
For the shortbread:
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups AP flour
For the caramel:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
For the chocolate topping:
1/2 tsp fleur de sel, optional
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

To make the shortbread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and flour until crumbly. Press into a 9x9 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.

To make the caramel:
Add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk to a medium sauce pan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir vigorously for 3 minutes. Pour caramel over (warm or cool) shortbread.

For the topping:
Sprinkle the fleur de sel over caramel. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and return to oven for one minute. Spread the chocolate chips with a spatula. Cool completely and cut into squares. 

Verdict:
Neutral. My pictures don't look ANYTHING like hers. I'm not sure what went wrong with this recipe. It still tasted fine, but I'll be honest - after a couple of pieces I just ate the chocolate off the top. What!?!? The chocolate chips didn't melt like they were supposed to, the caramel soaked into the shortbread instead of making a layer, and the shortbread was thick and moist instead of crumbly. I won't be making this again but let me know if you have success with it!

Salted Caramel Lava Cake

From: Here

Ingredients:
4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate squares
4 oz butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Butter for greasing ramekins
6-8 caramel squares
Sea salt or rock salt
Cocoa powder for dusting ramekins (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter the ramekins. Dust with cocoa powder (optional). Cut each caramel square into a few smaller pieces and press some salt onto them and set aside. If you leave them whole they might not melt all the way through.
Microwave the chocolate squares and butter for one minute in a large bowl. The chocolate will not have completely melted at this point. Whisk till the chocolate and butter combine.
Add the sugar and mix it in.
Whisk in the eggs and incorporate.
Stir in the flour. Work the flour in gently to combine. 
Divide batter among the 4 ramekins.
Gently push the salted caramel bits into the batter covering them.
Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake between 10-14 minutes. The cake is ready when it has a domed appearance, the center is a little moist and the edges of the cake, dry and firm.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Remove from the oven, insert a knife and go around the cake, invert onto serving plates, garnish with salt and serve. 

 I do realize that looks like egg yolk inside the chocolate... it's not.


What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing. I have ramekins from a creme brulee kit so I was able to use those.

What I'll do differently next time:
I'm not sure...

Verdict:
Actually... neutral. I'm not a huge fan of baking chocolate - it's never quite sweet enough for me. I didn't put in enough caramel for my tastes (I'm addicted to caramel) so I would have liked more of that. Have you ever had one of the Betty Crocker Warm Delights? That's the taste I was expecting. If you don't eat these right away the caramel starts to harden and then it's all in your teeth and everything... it just didn't reach my expectations. But hey, if you try it and love it will you let me know? Maybe I can tweak this into a recipe I will love! :)

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

From: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup finely chopped dried apple slices
3/4 cup caramel bits or 16 small soft caramel candies, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stir well. Observe your 2-year old trying to stir without any help.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture; beat at low speed until just combined.

 Fold in apple and caramel bits. Drop dough by 2 teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls slightly with hand. Bake for 9 minutes. Cool on pans and then on wire racks. 

What I did differently from the recipe:
I did use quick-cooking oats because that's all I had on hand. It didn't change any of the timings though. I also didn't use dried apple - no time!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh my goodness, these are delicious! They are sweet and gooey and just so yummy! This was such an easy recipe to throw together, so simple to make, and perfect for something last-minute or to feed a bunch of people at a party. I highly recommend it!

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup finely chopped dried apple slices
3/4 cup caramel bits or 16 small soft caramel candies, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stir well. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture; beat at low speed until just combined. Fold in apple and caramel bits. Drop dough by 2 teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls slightly with hand. Bake for 9 minutes. Cool on pans and then on wire racks. 

Homemade Caramel Dip

From: Here

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

In a 2-qt saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and milk, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. (I used a metal spoon due to the heat). Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon. Serve warm or cold as a dip, or drizzle over ice cream.

---------------------------------------------------
Just a few hours before Hunter's 1st birthday party on Saturday, I decided to buy some apples from "my" produce guy and then look for a yummy caramel dip online. I found this recipe and it was a HUGE hit. I am still chowing down on it - it saves as leftovers really well. This dip was just as good as any store-bought I've ever had... and SO EASY to make! Highly recommend!

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

From: Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Rome Beauty
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins or cherries
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp butter

Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Arrange apple slices in the bottom of dish; sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Top evenly with raisins.

In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add milk, the 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread the batter evenly over the apple mixture. In a small saucepan combine the caramel topping, water, and the one tablespoon butter; bring to boiling. Pour mixture over batter in baking dish. Bake in a 350 oven about 35 minutes or until center is set. While warm, spoon cake, apples, and caramel mixture from bottom of dish into dessert bowls, If desired, serve with ice cream.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Did not use "cooking" apples. I only used a palm-full of pecans because I don't really like pecans.

What I'll do differently next time:
I think I would make less of the caramel mixture that you pour over the cake. It made a TON and did make it a little soupy. Probably half of that would suffice.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh, this smelled so good coming out of the oven. When will someone invent a way to put smells on computers!? It was delicious. The "soupy" part did not bother me one bit. It is definitely sweet, but man it was good!

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Rome Beauty
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins or cherries
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp butter

Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Arrange apple slices in the bottom of dish; sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Top evenly with raisins. In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add milk, the 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread the batter evenly over the apple mixture. In a small saucepan combine the caramel topping, water, and the one tablespoon butter; bring to boiling. Pour mixture over batter in baking dish. Bake in a 350 oven about 35 minutes or until center is set. While warm, spoon cake, apples, and caramel mixture from bottom of dish into dessert bowls, If desired, serve with ice cream.

Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chunks
1 package (14 oz) soft caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 350. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt together butter and chocolate in microwave oven for 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Whisk in eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Spread half the batter into 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chunks.

In medium-size saucepan, melt together caramels and heavy cream over medium-low heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Evenly pour over batter in pan. Spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chunks.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until top is dry to the touch. Let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I left out the pecans because I prefer my brownies without nuts. Other than that, I didn't do anything differently.

What I'll do differently next time:
Same as above.

Verdict:
Thumbs UP!! Wow, these were sooo good. And sooo messy. They were kind of blobby because of the melted caramel in the middle, but who cares?? The only thing I hated about this recipe was unwrapping each individual caramel. My fingers were killing me by the end. Also, I always use a metal spoon to stir when I'm making candy, so trust me, if you have one, you'll want to use it for the caramels. The caramel drops off so much easier when it's done.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chunks
1 package (14 oz) soft caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 350. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt together butter and chocolate in microwave oven for 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Whisk in eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Spread half the batter into 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chunks. In medium-size saucepan, melt together caramels and heavy cream over medium-low heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Evenly pour over batter in pan. Spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chunks. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until top is dry to the touch. Let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.