Christmas Cookie #5 - Caramel Chocolate Thumbprints with Coconut

We are half way though our goal of 10 Cookies by Christmas with only 10 days to go till the big day!! I'm very impressed with mom & myself. I haven't baked this much probably since last Christmas season. I shouldn't complain because I can think of worse things to do than having to bake and eat Christmas cookies every few days. These may be the best cookie I have ever made to date, I'm not even joking. I'm a huge fan of sugar cookies around Christmas but these may be my new favorite.  I still haven't bought a single Christmas present for those who are wondering. Oops better get on that soon!!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Flour

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter - Softened

2/3 Cup Sugar

2 Tbsp Skim Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

4 Tbsp Heavy Cream

20 Wrapped Caramels

1 Cup Coconut - Sweetened & Shredded

Adapted from: http://bakedbree.com/

Start by combining the softened butter and sugar in the mixer on a medium speed until fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla and egg yolk, mix again until well combine. Make sure to keep the egg white aside until later.

Combine the salt, flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Mix it together and gradually add it to the wet ingredients. Start each addition of dry ingredients on a low speed and increase the speed as it mixes in.

Use a spatula to get all of the batter out of the mixing bowl and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Chill the batter for at least two hours in the refrigerator. In my case I made the dough in the morning and finished the cookies after work.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put a piece of parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. Take the batter out of the fridge and section it off using a teaspoon. Roll each section into a ball using your hands Try and make each ball the same size.

Take your reserved egg white and whip it up until frothy with a whisk. Pour the coconut in a bowl and make an assembly line so you can dunk the cookie ball in the egg whites, than the coconut and place it on the cookie sheet. When all of the dipped balls have made it to the cookie sheet gently press the middle down using your thumb to make a divot. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.

While your cookies are baking you can make the caramel. Unwrap each caramel, place them in a microwave safe bowl with the heavy cream. Melt the caramels in the microwave in 30 second intervals after each interval mix the caramel and cream together with a spoon. After the 3rd time in the microwave it should be completely melted, combined and the correct consistency to put in the cookie thumbprints.

When the cookies are finished baking take them out of the oven and let me them cool on the tray for 5 minutes. All of my thumbprints had filled back in so when they are cool enough to handle just push the middles down again. While the caramel is still warm and gooey spoon a little bit into each cookie thumbprint. If you caramel hardens in between batches just reheat it in the microwave. Let the cookies cool completely and the caramel harden for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

This is linked to www.lemonsforlulu.com, http://www.semihomemademom.com/