While flipping thru the February issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine I came across these delicious looking cookies: Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel.
I had coconut leftover from the Coconut Rum Doughnuts that I wanted to use up and this was the perfect goodie!
The base of these cookies is a traditional shortbread and bakes up buttery and sweet. When rolled in the flaked coconut a whole other flavor and texture component gets added.
The coconut gets browned and crisp with a sweet nutty flavor that goes well with the buttery cookie. Top it off with a generous dollop of caramel and a sprinkle of Maldon Sea Salt and you have a delectable cookie that will leave you wanting more. Here is how you can make your own.
You can find the basic recipe in the Martha Stewart Living Magazine February 2012 Issue or here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
Add the flour and salt and mix until a dough comes together. Using a tablespoon or a #50 cookie dough scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls. I used the #50 scoop and got 43 cookies.
After rolling all the dough into balls, dip each ball into beaten eggs and roll in flaked coconut to cover. Repeat with all dough balls and set aside.
Using your thumb or a melon ball scoop (I used a melon-ball scoop), press a shallow indent into each coconut covered dough ball. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and gently re-press the indentations a little deeper. Return to oven and continue cooking for another 9-10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Remove cookies from oven and carefully re-press the indentations again. I find that this last press on the hot cookie will allow you to get a nice rounded, deep indentation that will hold a generous amount of caramel. Let the cookies cool completely before filling with caramel.
Make Caramel Filling: In a small saucepan melt together the caramels and cream. I didn’t want to break open a carton of cream for 6 tablespoons so I used 6 tablespoons of whole milk instead, which worked fine.
When the caramel is smooth and melted carefully spoon into the indentations of the cookies. I was able to get 1 teaspoon of caramel into each cookie indentation. Let the caramel cool for a few minutes then lightly sprinkle with Maldon Sea Salt.
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