Wolf's Den

When I first saw these on Tastespotting, I knew I had to make them.


Recipe from here.




1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Buttercream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two large cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugars together, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and continue beating until fluffy, 1-2 minutes longer. Beat in milk and vanilla extract. Finally, beat in flour mixture to combine.
4. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets (you should get 12-14 cookies).
5. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until top springs back when touched.
6. Cool completely. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on the flat half of one cookie, then top with another cookie. Repeat.




Salted Caramel Buttercream
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40 mL) cream
2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Put 1/4 cup of sugar and water in saucepan over medium-high heat. Do not stir of you will get sugar crystals, but you can swirl the saucepan gently. It will bubble itself into a deep amber. Remove immediately from heat and add cream (careful - it will bubble up furiously). Stir until smooth and set aside.
2. Put the egg whites, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees. Transfer to bowl of standing mixer.
3. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Add butter a bit at a time, and continue beating on medium. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla extract, and then caramel (you may need to gently rewarm the caramel in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is workable but not burning hot). Beat for 4-5 minutes.



Now, I followed the recipe exactly. But next time, I think I'll do thinner cookies. And figure out a way to make the buttercream stiffer, as it was quite soft and had to be chilled prior to sandwiching.

However, these are delicious and I could eat that filling all day. I was even nice, and made up a couple with plain marshmallow fluff for the hubby, who's not a caramel fan.}:P





Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dark chocolate coma to induce...}:P