There has been less than pleasant weather here in Mexico City. I know I can’t complain or anything, I mean it is 55º F and my idea of bad weather is party cloudy with a chance of rain. Buuuuut….. for me, rain = indoors = baking cookies.
That probably sounds really girly, right? and the worst part is that sometimes I don’t even eat the cookies (ok, not ALL of them). I just like baking them because it smells nice.
These cookies will leave your kitchen smelling like coconut! I got the recipe from Martha Stewart’s Living magazine and I was kind of disappointed by the melting soft caramel candy part instead of making real salted caramel from scratch. So, I sort of put it off for a little while until I found the right recipe for salted caramel. But, it really was destiny I make these this week because last weekend I stumbled across a French market and found a pot of gourmet salted caramel. I had no idea the French went crazy for this stuff. It’s actually a regional specialty from Brittany, but you can totally make your own here. I think it’s better than melting kraft soft caramel candies, but maybe that’s just me.
Just remember to leave it in the fridge for a while so it has a thicker consistency for the filling.
Recipe
Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel
Yield: about 24
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
large, flaky sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour and 1/4 teaspoon table salt and beat to combine.
2. Roll into into 1 1/4 inch balls and dip each one in beaten egg and roll in coconut. Place balls on parchment lined baking sheets and press an indentation on each with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove sheets from the oven and repress indentations. Bake until golden (9-10 minutes).
3. Let cool and spoon salted caramel in the indentations. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
French market? In DF? (Yes, this is my second comment in one day.) Pray tell, where? I’m guessing maybe the Roma because of the high number of French people there? Also, gracias for the seafood supplier lady. I’m filing it away for whenever I decide to make the soup. Although with this weather, now seems pretty good….