Description
A shortbread crust layered with a rich chocolate cookie which is filled with soft caramel and sprinkled with salty peanuts. All topped off with a creamy chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 C (2 sticks) Unsalted butter
- 1 C Sugar
- 3/4 C Brown sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 pk Chocolate pudding mix (3.4oz)
- 1/4 C Dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 C Flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 2 C Shortbread cookie crumbs
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 48 Caramels
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Sea salt (coarse)
- ½ C Peanuts, chopped
For the Frosting:
- 1 C (2 sticks) Unsalted butter
- 3/4 C Cocoa powder
- 4 C Powdered sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Heavy cream
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a mini muffin pan with cookie spray or Crisco.
- 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.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat into butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, dry pudding mix, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- 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.
- Use a food processor to grind shortbread cookies into a fine crumb.
- 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.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumbs into the bottom of the mini muffin pan. Press down with a spoon or tart shaper.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Allow caramel to set while you are preparing the frosting.
For the Frosting:
- 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.
- Sift cocoa powder into mixing bowl. Turn mixer on slow speed and beat until cocoa power is mixed into butter.
- Add 2 C powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated into butter.
- Add vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream and mix to combine.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
I have a deep dish mini muffins pan, so my cookie cups hold more than the average dish. If you have a regular size mini muffin pan, I suggest to reduce the amount of shortbread cookie and cookie dough used for this recipe. Original chocolate cookie recipe is slightly adapted from Something Swanky.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookie cups, caramel cookies, frosted cookies