Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Fleur de Sel Cardamom Caramel Filling

Another great recipe from Baking Obsession, I really liked the flavor and texture combination. And besides, they look rather elegant!




makes about 27 cookies

180g flour
30g cocoa
1/2 teasp kosher salt
110g butter, softened
100g dark brown sugar
1 teasp vanilla extract
1 egg (room temperature)

filling
90g store-bought soft caramels
1/2 teasp kosher salt
1.5 tablespoon milk
5 cardamon pods, crushed to a fine powder



Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt to combine. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add the egg and continue mixing until light and well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough forms.
Roll the dough into regular 1-inch balls. Place them onto a baking sheet. Using a handle of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the center of each cookie; make it quite deep and about a penny in diameter. Chill the formed cookies for 20 minutes in the refrigerator, covered with parchment or plastic, before baking.
Bake the cookies, in batches, for 12-13 minutes, until the cookies appear set. Transfer the cookies on the sheet on a cooling rack and, using the same spoon handle, deepen the indentations made earlier; don’t poke through though, be gentle. You do want this extra space for a delicious filling. Transfer the cookies to the cooling rack and let them cool completely before filling.

Put the caramels, milk, salt, cardamom into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on “medium” for about a minute, pausing the microwave and stirring a couple of times, until the caramel is melted and mixture is smooth. Let it cool down for a couple of minutes and fill the cookies. Top with a few fleur de sel crystals if you wish.
The cookies can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container.