My husband Joe is a cookie monster! He loves all cookies, but especially ones that have a contrast between sweet and salty. These snickerdoodles are very soft and gooey with melting caramel bits, rolled in cinnamon and sugar and lightly sprinkled with grey sea salt. Made with brown butter gives off a nutty aroma as well as a taste that is hard to describe other than heavenly. Beware the addiction that follows after taking your first bite. It’s hard to resist just one more!
Begin by making the brown butter. Melt 2 sticks of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
As the butter heats up it will begin to foam.
Stir the pot and watch closely so that the butter doesn’t burn. If you feel the butter is cooking too fast, turn down the heat to medium.
As it cooks it will begin to turn a deep amber color with browned solid bits of milk appearing like browned flakes that sink to the bottom of the pan.
Use a fine strainer to catch the solid milk bits.
What you have left is a golden amber butter that will give your cookies an amazing flavor.
Begin making the cookie dough by combining the brown butter and sugars in a mixing bowl.
Beat on low until the sugars and butter are blended together.
Beat in the eggs.
Then add a splash of vanilla.
Combine your dry ingredients consisting of all purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt.
Add about half of the dry ingredients to the batter and beat well. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until they well combined.
Fold in 2 cups of Caramel Bits to the dough.
Place the dough in a zip lock bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or let sit overnight.
Mix together 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon to a small bowl. Roll approximately 2 teaspoons dough into round balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place balls of dough about 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet with or without a silpat baking mat. Bake the cookies 8 – 9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. As the cookies come out of the oven, lightly sprinkle with grey sea salt. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
If you have any uneaten cookies after the first hour you can store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh. I have to say they didn’t last long at my house!
Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Kraft Caramel Bits
3 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
Grey Sea Salt
To make brown butter, begin by melting butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly.
As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. The color will begin to darken from a bright yellow to golden color and eventually a dark amber . Once you see that amber coloring and smell that nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and let cool slightly.
Strain the butter through a fine meshed strainer to remove the solid milk particles.
Combine the dry ingredients of flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Combine the brown butter and sugars in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Begin to add about half of the dry ingredients to the bowl and blend well. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Fold in 2 cups of caramel bits. Form the dough into a round disk and place in a zip lock bag. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If the dough has been in the fridge overnight, let the dough rest on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes to make it easier to work with. Measure approximately 2 teaspoons of dough and roll into balls.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the dough balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture and set on a baking sheet with or without the lining of a silpat baking mat. Set the cookies approximately 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 8 – 9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They may be a bit soft in the center but that is okay. Cool the cookies on a wire rack for a few minutes as the cookies set. Store in an airtight and sealed container .
Makes 2 dozen cookies
An Inspired Cook 