Cashew Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle

Cookies are magic. They really are. I love how I can be in the mood for something sweet, and one half hour later, I can have a homemade treat fresh out of the  oven. Don’t ask me why, but I had been craving a cashew cookie- kind of like peanut butter cookie’s sexier more debonair cousin. I don’t know that I’d ever had cashew cookies before, but as soon as I started researching the recipe for a cashew cookie, I found out they’re pretty common. Then I thought, “hmmm a fleur de sel caramel drizzle” would make these cookies over the top delicious and totally unique. Wrong! Lots of people have made salty sweet caramel cashew cookies, but that’s because they’re just absolutely perfect. 

Everyone around here says these are the tastiest cookies I’ve ever baked, and I tend to agree. They’re a little over the top with the caramel, but whee! It’s the holiday season! These would make such a lovely hostess gift if you were to put the caramel in a pretty jar. That’s if you can stop yourself from eating them all up!

COOKIE INGREDIENTS

 1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour

 2 ½ cups raw cashews

 ½ teaspoon baking powder

 1 teaspoon coarsely  ground sea salt

 2 tablespoons canola oil

 1 stick of butter cut into 1 inch pieces

 1 tbsp vanilla extract

 ¾ packed dark brown sugar

 ½ cup organic sugar

 1 large egg

COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper

 Sift flour and baking powder together

 Rough chop 1 cup of cashews; set aside.

 Process remaining 1 1/2 cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in oil. Process until mixture about 1 ½ minutes. It should not be smooth like nut butter, but not just look like cashew meal either.

 Add cashew mixture, salt butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

 Beat egg with vanilla then slowly drizzle into the mixer while it’s running on medium.

 Reduce speed to low; add flour a little bit at a time until mixed thoroughly. Finally, mix in the remainder of the cashew

 Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes then gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks then drizzle with salted caramel to serve.

CARAMEL INGREDIENTS

 1/4 cup water

 1/2 cup granulated sugar (white)

 1/2 cup heavy cream

 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or other coarsely ground good sea salt)

CARAMEL INSTRUCTIONS

 Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.

 Turn up heat to medium-high & bring to a simmer

 Continue to stir as the sugar begins to caramelize.

 Simmer about 10 minutes until mixture begins to turn amber.

 Watch closely and continue cooking until mixture is entirely a dark golden amber.

 Turn heat to medium low and drizzle in heavy cream- stirring gently to incorporate.

 Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter one piece at a time and fleur de sel or kosher salt.

 Stir evenly incorporate butter and salt.

 Cool for at least 20 minutes and allow to thicken up before drizzling on cookies.

http://www.thetomatotart.com/recipe/cashew-cookies-with-salted-caramel-drizzle-a-perfect-christmas-cookie/