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!

Strawberry Thumbprints

From: Family Circle

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ground walnuts
2 cups AP flour
1/2 jar (12 oz) seedless strawberry jam

 Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Add walnuts and flour. Blend on low speed just until combined; dough will be crumbly but moist.

 Gather dough together with your hands to form a ball. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic, refrigerate for an hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick foil. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll ball in remaining 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press a deep indentation into center of dough, large enough to hold 1/2 teaspoon jam. Fill indentation with jam; repeat.

Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden. Cool on pans for 5 minutes.

 What I did differently from the recipe:
Left out the walnuts because I didn't have any on hand.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Neutral. I have made many, many thumbprint cookie recipes in my day (i.e. these with sugar cookies, these with peanut butter, twists) and this was not my favorite. They were a good cookie, but the actual cookie tasted a lot like shortbread to me. Not a great taste unless you add the jam to it. I'd say my favorite of these so far is the peanut butter jammies. But you might love these! I would recommend you try them, especially if you like shortbread cookies!

Strawberry Thumbprints

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ground walnuts
2 cups AP flour
1/2 jar (12 oz) seedless strawberry jam

  Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Add walnuts and flour. Blend on low speed just until combined; dough will be crumbly but moist. Gather dough together with your hands to form a ball. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic, refrigerate for an hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick foil. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll ball in remaining 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press a deep indentation into center of dough, large enough to hold 1/2 teaspoon jam. Fill indentation with jam; repeat. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden. Cool on pans for 5 minutes.