Salted Caramel Truffle Cookies

I have gone from looking for recipes that make a small quantity, but this time I wanted to make something that wasn’t too perishable, since I wanted them to last. It seems like the softer the cookie, the quicker it turns, so anything with fresh fruit, applesauce, pumpkin and that sort of thing is tricky. This recipe seemed good: it’s a variation of a chocolate chip cookie with chopped pretzels and the salted caramel filled baking truffles. Thankfully I had picked those up when I first saw them.

The original recipe called for the cookies to be baked for a shorter time at 375 degrees. I did one sheet of cookies at that temperature, but I think the cookies browned too quickly. Since most cookies bake at 350 degrees, I decided to try that. I had to bake my cookies for 12 minutes, but I think that the lower temperature resulted in a better cookie. A few cookies looked under baked, but they continued cooking and set up after they cooled.

Another change that I made to this recipe was the amount of pretzels in the dough. The recipe called for 3-1/2 cups (!) of chopped pretzels, which I think is ridiculous. I had some small bags of pretzels and I ended up using about a cup of those. When everything was said and done, I think that was the correct amount. The pretzels add a perfect saltiness to the cookies. The chocolate chunks are decadent, which is off set by the salt in the dough. These are simple, but really great!

Salted Caramel Truffle Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini pretzels, chopped
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups Sea Salt Caramel Filled Baking Truffles*

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Chop the mini pretzels and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. When the flour is almost fully incorporated into the dough, stir in the chopped pretzels and the sea salt caramel baking truffles.

Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, using about 1-1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden around the edges. The centers may seem slightly under baked, but will continue to cook as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Nestle- The Very Best Baking

*This is a specialty item, and likely won’t always be available. You could use chocolate chunks, or a combination of chocolate chunks and some caramel bits to capture similar flavors.