Caramel Macciato Thumbprints

Made one more batch of fudge tonight! It's so easy! This one was White Chocolate/Chocolate Mint. Yummy! I used that same Carnation recipe I blogged about yesterday.

I also made Caramel Macciato Thumbprints. I ate one and wasn't bowled over by the taste, but I couldn't locate espresso powder in the store. So, I had to go with the alternative - instant coffee granules. Try harder than I did to find the espresso if you decide to make these.

I do have a pic of my own cookies, but it's languishing on the camera card.

Caramel Macchiato Thumbprints

Prize-Winning Recipe 2009! Create a coffee shop favorite flavor in a delicious cookie. These cookies can be habit-forming—smile, smile.

Prep Time: 55 min
Total Time: 1 hour 25 min
Makes: 3 dozen cookies

61 Ratings
7 Reviews

2	teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder or granules
1	tablespoon hot water
1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/4	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	cup butter or margarine, melted
2	teaspoons vanilla
1	egg
18	caramels (from 14-oz bag), unwrapped
2	tablespoons milk
1/2	cup semisweet chocolate chips
1	teaspoon shortening

1.	Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, dissolve coffee powder in hot water. Stir in cookie mix, flour, butter, vanilla and egg until very soft dough forms.
2.	Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Using thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make indentation in center of each cookie.
3.	Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
4.	In small microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and milk uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring once, until caramels are melted. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon caramel into indentation in each cookie. Cool 15 minutes.
5.	In another small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds or until chips can be stirred smooth. Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Let stand about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Christmas Cookies Again

From Christmas Cookies

Friday was the traditional sugar cookie decorating. I bought refrigerated cooky dough instead of making my own. A little easier and not really any more expensive.

The girls did most of it. James helped a little and David not at all.

From Christmas Cookies

I've added a couple photos to the blog, but watch the slideshow for pix and comments. If you can't see it, try clicking HERE to go to Picasa to see the photos.

And I don't know how many of these cookies will last until Christmas. I let them eat some for dessert.

Second Baking Day

These were Wednesday's cookies:

Buckeye Delights (from Betty Crocker)

Cookie Base (I used premade sugar cooky dough and added cocoa)
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg

Filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon peanut butter


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 36 mini muffin cups with mini foil candy cups (about 1 1/4 inch). In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until dough forms. Press about 1 tablespoon dough into each foil cup. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until puffy and set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan.
2. In small bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Press about 1 teaspoon mixture on top of each cooled cookie.
3. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream just to boiling over low heat, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until cooled. Spread about 2 teaspoons chocolate mixture over each cookie cup.
4. Place remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 to 60 seconds or until softened; knead to mix. Cut off small tip from one corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate mixture over each cookie cup. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Store covered in refrigerator.


Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
(from the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie magazine)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

2 egg yolks

16 drops green food color

2 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

3 tbsp. whipping cream

3 tbsp. butter

18 thin rectangular creme de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped, cut in half diagonally (I used mint chocolate chips - green striped)

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Beat in peppermint extract, egg yolks and food color until blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Using end of handle of wooden spoon, press a deep well in center of each cookie.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Reshape wells with end of handle of wooden spoon. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool competely, about 15 minutes.

5. In a microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, cream and 3 tbsp. butter on high 1 minute, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Fill each well with about 1 tbsp. chocolate mixture; garnish with candy piece. Let stand about 1 hour until chocolate is set.

~ ~ ~ ~

Gotta run! The timer is dinging!

First Two Recipes

Our first two recipes were Fudge-Mint brownies and Orange Cream Cookies.

I can't find the brownie recipe online but it came from this Betty Crocker Christmas cookie magazine. I asked the kids to each choose two recipes from this magazine that they'd like to try.

The brownies are a fudge brownie mix marbled with mint-flavored marshmallow creme. Then they are frosted with vanilla frosting mixed with white chocolate and more minty marshmallow, then crumbled mint Oreos on top.

ORANGE CREAM COOKIES
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix (I used my own sugar cookie recipe.)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
5 drops yellow food color
2 drops red food color
1 bag (12 oz) white vanilla baking chips (2 cups)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir all ingredients except baking chips until soft dough forms. Stir in baking chips.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough with 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop or by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until dough is set (do not overbake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.

Both recipes turned out well. I immediately packed them away for Christmas. Didn't share even a bite! LOL