Gooey Chewy Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

I haven't baked cookies in what seems like FOREVER. I have, however, eaten my body weight in Aldi's half coated chocolate chip cookies mmmmm. That being said, I decided - with all the free time I have on my hands now exams are done - to whip up a batch of gooey chewy salted caramel chocolate chip cookies.

When I say gooey and chewy they really are just that. EXTREMELY chewy and gooey. The two most desirable qualities a cookie should have. Hannah will testify this, she was shocked (how offensive) delighted by how gooey and chewy these salted caramel chocolate chip cookies were. I say were because they were gobbled up in no time at all.

The best thing about this recipe (other than the scrumptiously moreish and chewy cookies it allows you to whip up) is the fact that it is made in one bowl - no excess washing up to be done here nah ah no sir not for us here!

These cookies are great for celebrating things like FINALLY FINDING THE PERFECT APARTMENT! Yes yes yes, we have found one yeeeeyy! I am very excited about this news so I have been spending a lot of time looking at totally unaffordable lovely homewares :) Anyway, here is the recipe - ENJOY!

 

Ingredients

For the salted caramel:

35 g unsalted butter
50 g sugar (I used half granulated and half light brown)
25 g golden syrup (if you don't have this increase the sugar to 75 g)
50 ml double cream (I used Elmlea's alternative to cream because it lasts longer)
1/2 tsp sea salt (not table salt!!!)

For the gooey chewy salted caramel chocolate chip cookies:

100 g unsalted butter

125 g granulated sugar

1 medium free range egg

150 g all purpose flour

50 - 100 g dark chocolate cut into chunks (quantity depends on your chunk preference!) or chocolate chips

salted caramel - half of the following recipe will be sufficient but I like to have the good stuff to hand

60 g caster sugar for rolling in (use granulated for a crunchier coating)

Directions

For the salted caramel:

Make the day before for firm caramel that you can simply pop into the middle of a cookie dough ball

1. To make the salted caramel firstly combine the butter, sugar and golden syrup and melt over a medium heat stirring the whole time. Bring it to the boil and simmer for a further 4 - 5 minutes stirring every so often.

2. Take the pan off the heat and add the double cream and the salt. If your sauce isn't thick enough put it back on a medium heat and stir. Remember though, it will thicken as it cools. 

3. Pour into a jar or any other air tight container and refrigerate for a few hours until firm - overnight is best. If you use a rectangular container it will be easier to cut the caramel into cubes to put in the center of the cookie dough balls.

For the gooey chewy salted caramel chocolate chip cookies:

1. Pre heat oven to 170 degrees C and line two large baking trays with grease proof paper. In a medium mixing bowl cream together the sugar and butter.

2. Beat in the egg then add the flour - mix well.

3. Chop the chocolate into 0.5 cm cubed chunks and add evenly to the mixture, giving it a quick stir to distribute.

4. Pour the 60 g of caster sugar into a small shallow bowl.

5. Using an ice cream scoop (or your hands, I used my hands but it depends how uniform you want you cookies to be!), scoop a ball of cookie dough and mould it into a ball. Using a teaspoon scoop out a large blob of salted caramel about half the size of the cookie dough ball (or if you've used a square container cut the salted caramel into cubes about half the size of the cookie dough ball) and push it into the center of the cookie dough ball, remoulding the dough into a sphere again afterwards. Roll the cookie dough balls in the caster sugar until completely coated.

TIP: If you don't have caster sugar to hand don't panic - simply whizz granulated sugar in a food processor for 10 seconds or so and hey presto - caster sugar!

6. Put the cookie dough balls on the grease proof papered baking tray, a little bit further apart than mine in the photo below - mine did actually stick together in some instances but it was nothing careful pulling apart couldn't solve!

7. bake for 14 - 16 minutes until the tops start to go golden

8. Serve, share, eat and ENJOY :)

 

 

p.s. would you believe it, this is the first recipe I've posted in yonks without vanilla bean paste!