I'm not sure where August went off to, but happy September!  Sometimes when I think too much about time, and how fast it goes by (and I'm still young by most people's standards!!) I get a little nostalgic.  I'm sorry future self, I hear it only gets worse!  However, when that happens, sometimes it's best to make cookies.  And eat a few.  A recipe for success! Sorry couldn't resist...

Now, if you followed my lead and made lots of caramel last week, (then I left you hanging and didn't blog for a while, so sorry.  It's called: Apartment hunting in Italy) then you were probably wondering what to do with all of it.  A little on ice cream, a little in coffee, a little for dipping, a little in the freezer for emergency situations, and some left over for....these salted caramel thumbprint cookies! Or if you opted for the eating by spoonful, no worries, the recipe is still up and you can just go make some more, fret not!

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Recipe adapted from The Busty Baker

Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 18 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup / 25g cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• Scant 1/2 cup / 100g oil

• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar, plus more for rolling

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 oz / 60g semisweet chocolate or 1/3 cup chips, melted and cooled

• 1 cup / 300g caramel sauce, or make a 1/2 recipe of this caramel sauce

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt. 

2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and oil.  Beat in egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed.  Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Dough will be soft.

3. Place dough in fridge for about 20-30 minutes, or until dough thickens enough to be rolled into balls.  Alternately, place in the freezer to speed up the process. 

4. Place some sugar in a small bowl.  Roll dough into about 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar.  Press thumb into the center of each cookie, place on cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.  If centers have puffed up, remove from oven and press down again.  Return to oven and bake for 3-5 minutes more, until edges are cracked and set but center still looks soft.  Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool. 

5. When cookies are almost cool, spoon caramel into centers.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. 

Jenny’s Notes:

• Cookies still warm when caramel is added makes for ooey gooey drippy caramel...yes please!