Description
Indulgent caramel-walnut chocolate thumbprint cookies deliver sweet sophistication with rich chocolate and nutty caramel notes. Crisp edges, gooey centers, and elegant design make these treats perfect for sharing with friends during special moments.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups (297 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (57 grams) chopped toasted walnuts
- ½ cup (85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Dry Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Liquid and Flavor Ingredients:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (79 milliliters) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) bourbon
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
Instructions
- Meticulously combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing vessel, creating a uniform dry ingredient base.
- Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture achieves a lightweight, airy consistency, transforming into a pale, fluffy texture.
- Gently fold in egg yolk and vanilla extract, ensuring thorough integration without overmixing the delicate dough.
- Gradually incorporate the prepared flour mixture on low speed, blending just until the ingredients form a cohesive cookie dough.
- Craft uniform dough spheres using heaping tablespoon measurements, positioning them strategically on parchment-lined baking sheets with adequate spacing.
- Delicately fashion a centered indentation in each cookie ball using a floured measuring spoon, creating the signature thumbprint cavity.
- Refrigerate the prepared cookie bases for half an hour, allowing the dough to firm and maintain its structured shape during baking.
- Roast the cookies in a preheated oven until they transform into a golden-brown hue, approximately 16 to 19 minutes.
- Promptly reconfigure any thumbprint impressions that may have flattened during baking, preserving their distinctive shape.
- Transfer the freshly baked cookies onto a cooling rack, permitting them to reach ambient temperature.
- Construct the caramel sauce by dissolving sugar in water over moderate heat, monitoring the transformation until it reaches a rich, deep golden color.
- Carefully introduce heavy cream, bourbon, remaining salt, and butter, whisking continuously to create a smooth, glossy caramel mixture.
- Incorporate walnuts and chocolate chips, stirring until they meld seamlessly into the warm caramel base.
- Allow the caramel to rest briefly, enabling it to achieve an ideal consistency for filling.
- Generously distribute the caramel-nut mixture into each cookie’s thumbprint, ensuring even coverage and maximum flavor integration.
Notes
- Chill the cookie dough before baking to prevent spreading and help maintain the perfect thumbprint shape.
- Use a measuring spoon to create uniform indentations in each cookie ball for consistent results.
- Allow caramel to cool slightly before adding nuts and chocolate to prevent immediate separation.
- Create deep thumbprints immediately after baking to ensure a perfect cavity for the caramel filling.
- Watch caramel closely during cooking to achieve a deep golden brown without burning.
- Let cookies cool completely before serving to allow caramel filling to set properly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 19 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg