Gooey Caramel Coconut Shortbread Cookie {recipe}

These may not be the prettiest cookies I have ever made, but what they lack in beauty, they make up for in ooey gooey goodness! A girlfriend of mine made a super yummy shortbread cookies with caramel and chocolate last week. They were so good I knew I had to try it out. While I love a good shortbread cookie, I have never made it before, so she passed on the link to the recipe she used. The recipe was for Tagalogs by The Novice Chef....perfect! So I used her shortbread recipe and created my own gooey topping and then finished the cookie with melted chocolate.

This recipe has several steps so be sure to read through first before making them. I have done that in the past with recipes and kick myself when I miss a key ingredient or step.

Shortbread Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Coconut Caramel:

1 cup Sugar
6 Tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Chocolate "Drizzle":


2 oz Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream


Preheat oven to 350

In a mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) cream together butter and sugar. On low speed add the flour, baking powder and salt. Next add the vanilla and milk and mix until a soft ball of dough is formed.

On a parchment lined baking sheet, take a tablespoon full of dough, roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a disc about 1/4-inch thick.

Bake cookies until the bottoms and edges are slightly browned, approx 11-12 minutes

Immediately after removing cookies, use a small spoon and gently make a 'thumbprint' in the center of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

In a heavy bottom 3 quart pot, heat sugar on med high heat. When the sugar starts to melt, stir continuously with a silicone spatula or a whisk. When the sugar starts to boil, make sure all the sugar is melted (the color should be a amber color) immediately add the butter and continuously whisk until the butter has completely melted.

Note: When you add the butter it will immediately foam up and could splatter, so be careful.

Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat. Slowly add the cream and continue to whisk until well mixed and smooth. Add the unsweetened shredded coconut and whisk again until well mixed. Set aside to cool and thicken.

Assembly: 


Once your coconut caramel is cooled and thickened, add a spoon full into the 'thumbprint' of the cookie. If the caramel is not thick enough, place the pot in the fridge until the caramel is the desired consistency. Once all cookies are done, place them in the fridge to set.


In a small heavy bottom pot, heat cream on low. Once the cream is warmed, add the chocolate chips and stir with a silicone spatula continuously until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Make sure not to heat the chocolate too fast or it will burn.

Pull the cookies from the fridge and immediately drizzle, dollop or spread the melted chocolate over or on the cookies. Set aside and let the chocolate harden on the cookies and serve. Delicious! Store in an air tight container in the fridge.