Caramel Popcorn Cookies from BAKER’S ROYALE
It’s hard to put my finger on what exactly I like best about these cookies—maybe it’s their caramelly brown-butter flavor; or it’s the soft and chewy center with a crisp, caramelized edge; or it could be the delightful don’t have-to-choose-just-one idea that I can mix caramel popcorn (and lots of chocolate and butterscotch chips) with a delicious cookie.
MAKES 30 COOKIES
Ingredients
3 cups (300 g) store-bought or homemade caramel corn, divided
13/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (215 g) lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup (90 g) butterscotch chips, roughly chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare the caramel corn by roughly chopping 1 cup/100 g; set aside. Then, finely chop the remaining 2 cups/200 g of caramel corn by hand on a cutting board (using the food processor could cause the caramel corn to stick together in clumps); set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, both sugars, and vanilla until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed, just until no flour streaks are visible. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the roughly chopped caramel corn and the chopped butterscotch chips.
Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough into the finely chopped caramel corn to coat. Place each coated ball on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches/5 cm of space between them. (You will need to bake them in batches.)
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.