Milk Maid® Caramel Apple Cookies
Prep Time: 1hr 0 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Total Time: 1hr 15 Minutes Yield: 6 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup + 2 Tbls unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks + 2 Tbls)
8 Tbls powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 Tbls red food coloring
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Toothpicks or 2” wooden skewers
14 oz of Brach’s® Milk Maid® Caramels
¼ cup water
2 cups roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
For cookies: In large bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and food coloring until light and fluffy.
Add flour in 1/3 increments and blend until smooth.
Shape dough into teaspoon sized balls and place on prepared baking sheets 1” apart.
Bake 15-17 minutes.
Remove from oven and place toothpicks or skewers in center of each cookie. Let cool completely.
To decorate: Place chopped peanuts in shallow pan and set aside.
In small bowl, melt unwrapped caramels with water in microwave, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
Dip cooled cookies in caramel, twirling gently to let excess drip back into bowl and hold wood craft stick down for 30 seconds to allow caramel to set slightly.
Set caramel dipped cooked on bed of chopped peanuts, (stick up) while continuing to dip additional cookies. Once caramel is somewhat set, transfer peanut bottomed cookies to wax or parchment paper lined baking sheet and let set overnight.