Instructions

For the Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a mini muffin pan with cookie spray or Crisco.
2. Allow butter to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Combine butter and sugars in your stand mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat into butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed.
4. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, dry pudding mix, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients into batter and beat on a low speed until dough starts to form. If dough is a little dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk. Set dough aside.
6. Use a food processor to grind shortbread cookies into a fine crumb.
7. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted. Combine melted butter with shortbread cookie crumbs and stir until there are no dry crumbs left.
8. Spoon 1 tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumbs into the bottom of the mini muffin pan. Press down with a spoon or tart shaper.
9. Drop 1-1.5 tablespoons of dough into the greased mini muffin pan on top of the shortbread crumbs. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes.
10. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Use a tart shaper or the back of a spoon to gently push down the middle of the cookies. Allow to cool for another 30 minutes in the pan. You may need to run a knife around the edge of the cookies to help release them from the pan. Cool completely.

For the Filling:

1. Unwrap caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour milk over caramels. Microwave in 30 second increments to prevent caramel from burning. Once caramels start to melt, stir vigorously with a spoon until smooth. Use caution, caramels will be extremely hot! Pour melted caramel into the cookie cups.
2. Use a food processor to chop up peanuts and sprinkle on top of caramel. You may need to slightly press into the caramel as it cools.
3. Allow caramel to set while you are preparing the frosting.

For the Frosting:

1. Cut butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until butter looks light in color.
2. Sift cocoa powder into mixing bowl. Turn mixer on slow speed and beat until cocoa power is mixed into butter.
3. Add 2 C powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated into butter.
4. Add vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream and mix to combine.
5. Add additional 2 C powdered sugar and beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.
6. Add last 1 C powdered sugar along with 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream. Beat on low until ingredients start to mix together. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3-5 minutes to whip additional air into the frosting.