Chocolate and Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies

I have a bruise the size of a grapefruit on my shin. I’ve been bumping into the corners of walls. I missed a step going downstairs and felt like I was going to plummet to my doom for a split second.

Coming back home has thrown me a bit off kilter. I’m happy as can be to be back where I belong and away from school, but it’s taking some getting used to. My body is used to the dimensions of my apartment. It remembers the feel of the floors. The layout of my kitchen.

And my tongue remembers the taste of these Chocolate and Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies. I made these a few weeks ago to kick off my holiday baking. It’s a shame that I’m just getting around to sharing them. With their chewy, chocolate shells and salty, fluffy buttercream centers, these cookies are simple enough to whip up as a last minute holiday treat that can be easily shared.

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies (makes 18 cookies/9 sandwiches)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 whole egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy, another 2 minutes.

Working in three batches, add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Spoon dough by round tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 6 – 8 minutes or until edges are set and tops have crinkled.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack before frosting with Salted Caramel Buttercream, recipe follows.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ - ½ cup salted caramel sauce

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream together the butter and ¼ cup of the caramel sauce. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and cream until fluffy. Add additional caramel sauce until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Add a generous amount of frosting to the flat bottom of one cookie and top with another to create a sandwich.

Or not shared. Whichever.