If you are a cookie lover, Best Super Soft Peanut Butter Cookies, Turtle Thumbprint Cookies, Fudgy Double Chocolate Cookies, and Copycat Swig Sugar Cookies are a MUST TRY. To me, a cookie needs to be more than one thing. As in, it needs to satisfy a couple of cravings at once. Sweet, of course, but also something else. Sometimes that craving can be for something sweet and crunchy, like these Peanut Butter Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. Then, other times I want a cookie that is both sweet and (dare I say it?) healthy like these Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. When I created the recipe for these Salted Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies, I am pretty sure you can imagine what I was craving. That’s right, something sweet and salty. To me, the combination of those two flavors is simply where it’s at. I know I’m not alone in this, right? I like to eat these cookies straight out of the oven. Even though I KNOW they’re going to be hot, I can barely wait even a minute for one to cool down before I’m burning my fingers, trying to split it in half to make it cool enough for me to eat it (and still burn my tongue anyway). Soooo worth it. If you don’t like to burn your fingers and tongue though, these are great at room temperature as well, and the caramel will still be soft and chewy. I do recommend, once cooled, the cookies are stored in an airtight container so that they retain their nice, chewy texture. (And, you can always pop these in the microwave for a few seconds to see to it that your caramel is melted again.) While these cookies are great to eat all yourself (or maybe even share a few with your family), they are also the perfect treat to make for when you have company, for a bake sale, as an after-school snack, a new neighbor welcome gift, to leave out for Santa, or even as holiday hostess gift. I think they are a little on the unexpected side and therefore, always the first to get eaten in any event.
What Are Good Caramel Substitutes?
While I made these with caramels in mind, there is no reason you can’t get creative with your cookies’ insides. You could follow the same recipe except substitute another soft candy for the middles (think peanut butter cups, not Jolly Ranchers). I have found that candies like Reese’s cups, Rolo’s, Dove chocolates, Hershey’s miniatures, and even M&Ms can work in the center of these chocolate cookies. Whether or not you include the sprinkle of salt at the end is up to you. I prefer salt with caramel, but you can leave it off or on or try it both ways to see which works best for your cookie palate.
How Long Will These Cookies Keep?
If you store the Salted Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies in an airtight container, they can keep on your countertop or in your pantry for two to three days. If you choose to refrigerate them, they will last about a week, but keep in mind they will get hard in the fridge and you should leave them out to warm up (or pop them in the microwave) before serving. You can also freeze these cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc baggie for up to four to five months.
What If I Don’t Have Coarse Sea Salt?
If you don’t have coarse sea salt or sea salt flakes on hand, my recommendation in this case would be to leave off the salt entirely. You can’t really substitute table salt because it will sink into the cookie and just make it taste like you added too much salt or made an error in baking. The purpose of using a coarser salt is so that it “sits” right at the top of the cookie and so when you bite into it, you’re getting the bite of salt before you sink into the sweetness of the rest of the cookie. Cookie dough adapted from Just So Tasty.
