Caramel Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caramel Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies - made March 20, 2013 from A Lil Country Sugar

If this cookie looks familiar, it's because it is.  I made a modified version earlier.  This time around, I found the Starbucks Via caramel coffee packs at Target pretty easily so I thought I'd make the cookies as they were originally intended, with the caramel coffee flavor.  I don't drink coffee but don't mind coffee-flavored baked goods.  Caffeine doesn't really boost me up either although there are days like today, which I started off with a 7 am meeting with my colleagues in Asia, where I almost wished it did.

In any case, if you like coffee, this original version of the cookie might be a good pick-me-up.  I have to admit, I preferred my plainer version.  The texture on both is the same since I had increased the flour in the first recipe to compensate for the coffee powder but the added coffee flavor didn't do anything for me.  The caramel flavor was a bit more masked since it competed with the coffee flavor.  I have a stronger preference for caramel than for coffee so I would probably make the plain caramel version rather than the caramel coffee version.

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup caramel syrup (I used salted caramel from Williams Sonoma)

3 3/4 cup bread flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package Starbucks VIA ready brew caramel flavor coffee

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks
1 cup caramel bits

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and caramel sauce until well combined.
2. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, salt, Starbucks VIA, baking soda) and whisk together. Add slowly to wet ingredients mixing until everything is combined. Mix in chocolate chunks and caramel bits.
3. Using a large cookie scoop (ice cream scoop will work) place on baking sheets. Using a fork or the pointy side of a meat mallet, press cookie down in a crisscross fashion. Lightly sprinkle with fleur de sel or salt before baking. Bake 10 - 12 minutes.