Caramel Crunch Butter Cookies

A few years ago a good friend, who loves baking just as much as I do, gave me Elinor Klivan's Big Fat Cookies book. Nearly every recipe (if not all of them) was paired with a photo of each cookie looking both mouthwatering and monumental. At first I was skeptical, after all how many recipes have I tried from books with pretty pictures that turn out badly. But, Ms. Klivan delivered. Every cookie was just sweet enough, just chewy enough, just crunchy enough; every single cookie was GOOD! I quickly located some of her out of print cook books from a used book site and have slowly throughout the years been exploring my way through Fearless Baking and 125 Cookies: to Bake, Nibble, and Savor. These books too have offered truly original recipes and useful tips from Elinor. My favorite thus far is the Cranberry Caramel Buckle (and the Fig and Pine Nut cookies)!

So today, after my second midterm and Cicero, I decided to bake. I turned to Elinor, who is always there with something good to try. And sadly, today I was (for the first time) disappointed. With limited ingredients on hand, I searched my books for something simple and found the Caramel Crunch Butter Cookies. The recipe includes a sweet anecdote about this being the first cookie she made on her own. Plus it had caramel, something I adore! This had to be the cookie that would melt my troubles away...

It turns out that this cookie is sickeningly sweet and needs more cookie and less caramel. Somehow, somewhere, the sugar must be decreased. The butteryness of the cookie was lost to the melted caramel in the cookie and there was no crunch. Instead they were chewy, and not in a good way. Elinor, Elinor, where did you go wrong?

CARAMEL CRUNCH BUTTER COOKIES

Adapted from Elinor Klivan 125 Cookies: to Bake, Nibble, and Savor

1 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Line a 1" rimmed metal baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place 1/2 c. sugar in  a heavy bottom pan and cook sugar over low heat. When sugar begins to melt increase heat to medium and cook until amber in color, watch closely. When the sugar is completely melted and caramelized pour onto parchment-lined sheet and let cool until it is hardened; approximately 15-30 mins. (CAUTION: the caramel is very hot!) When the caramel is completely cooled, wrap it in the parchment and using a mallet, heavy skillet, or rolling pin, crush the caramel into 1/4" pieces. Yields approximately 1/2 c.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Sift flour and baking powder and set aside.

5. Cream butter, remaining 1/2 c. sugar and vanilla on medium speed in an electric mixer. Decrease speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add 2 tbs. water, mixing until just blended into dough. Add remaining flour and mix until just incorporated. Stir in crushed caramel pieces. Using a level tablespoon of batter for each cookie, place mounds of batter 2 1/2" apart on the baking sheets.

6. Bake until edges and bottoms are golden and cookies flatten, 14- 16 mins. Reverse the baking sheets after 7 mins, to ensure that the cookies cook evenly. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 min. then transfer to a cooling rack.

Yields: 22-24 cookies

Salve!