Caramel Crunch-Chocolate Chunklet Cookies by Dorie Greenspan

Caramel Crunch-Chocolate Chunklet Cookies - made December 20, 2022 from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups (272 grams) all-purpose flour

3 ounces dark or milk chocolate, chopped into small chunks (I recommend mini chocolate chips)

1/2 cup (60 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted, optional (substitute more chocolate chunks if not using)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar and salt until light and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
2. On low speed, mix in flour, beating until just combined. Add in chocolate and nuts, if using.
3. Turn dough onto clean workspace and knead to bring it together. Divide dough in half and roll into 6-inch logs, slightly less than 2 inches in diameter. Wrap both logs and refrigerate for at least two hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter two 12-cavity muffin tins. Cut each log into 1/2-inch thick rounds and place each round in a muffin cavity. Bake 20-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown at the edges and tops are softly set. Let cool for 3 minutes then remove gently with small spatula.

I thought these would be like caramelized brown-sugar chocolate chip cookies but they were more like chocolate chip shortbread. Really good chocolate chip shortbread. I advise doing as Dorie Greenspan suggests and baking these in muffin tins. That's what allows for the browning and caramelization of the cookies and gives them flavor and a little crunch.

For once, I don't advocate underbaking. The above shows what the bottom of the cookie should look like. It won't really spread in the muffin cavity but the darker muffin tin browned the bottoms of the cookies nicely. If you don't bake them long enough, you will only get a pale, anemic version of the cookie. It tastes better when it's baked to the golden brown color on the bottoms.

I omitted the nuts in this (of course) but increased the amount of mini chocolate chips. The dough was firm enough that I only chilled it in the refrigerator and didn't freeze it. That made slicing easier before baking. I really liked these and they look dainty and pretty. Cut them thickly as they're not meant to be thin snappy cookies but, when properly browned on the bottom, you'll still get a nice crunch but also some chewiness.