Cookies and caramel corn are synonymous with the holidays, right? So I thought, shoot, why double fist the two when you can have them in one bite. I took the base of my favorite brown butter cookie and then punched it up with the sweet kick of crushed caramel corn. Providing the yang, to the ying, are some salted cashews. The combination of the caramel corn and the cashews make for a perfectly balanced sweet and salty cookie combo.
Caramel Popcorn and Cashew Cookies
You guys asked for cookies, you got cookies. This is the start of an onslaught of cookies that you can bake and give. This particular one holds up real well, so it is a good contender for shipping.
I should also mention, I will try to keep the posts as short as possible since I’m sure there is eating, shopping and a merriment of things you would rather be doing than to read my ramblings.
A few notes:
- For the cashews make sure to use salted, not just plain cashews for that added sweet and salty combo.
- For the caramel corn I used Cracker Jacks.
- To crush or not to crush the caramel popcorn is completely up to you. I tried the first batch with whole pieces but found it too lumpy, so I crushed.
- Let cookies cool completely before storing or you will have chewy caramel popcorn rather than crisp caramel popcorn bits in the cookies.
Caramel Popcorn and Cashew Cookies
(Cookie base is adapted from Cooks Illustrated)
Makes about 30 2 inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line bake sheet with parchment.
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 14 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ cup crushed caramel corn
- ½ cup salted cashews, chopped
Instructions:
- Whisk flour and baking soda; set aside Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted about 2 minutes. Continue stirring for another 1-3 minutes until brown and there is a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Pour heated butter through a sieve into a heat proof bowl. Stir in remaining butter until completely melted.
- Transfer melted butter to a bowl and add in both sugars, salt, vanilla and whisk until fully combined. Add egg and egg yolk, whisk until mixture is smooth and no sugar lumps remains, about 30 seconds.
- Let mixture stand for 3 minutes then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat this step 2 more times until mixture is thick and shiny.
- Stir in flour until combined. Stir in caramel popcorn and cashews and combined.
- Drop on heaping tablespoon of cookie dough onto parchment lined bakesheet one inch apart. Bake and until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, about 10-11 minutes.
oh these look absolutely delicious!!!!
wow… those photos are awesome! love them & i love these cookies! i’ve never thought of pairing caramel corn (my favorite!) with cookies… it’s genius!
I love your cookie creations! This is going on the holiday baking list.
that is an awesome tip about letting the cookies cool all the way! I never knew that storing them before they cooled could reduce the crunchiness of ingredients, but I guess it makes sense–the steam trapped inside the container could make the caramel corn chewy? makes sense to me! 🙂
This sounds crazy, but in the best way. I think my family and I will have to try this.
Love how creative these are. Perfect!
I agree with Jessica, very creative!!! Seriously, why can’t we be neighbors?
Have I mentioned lately that I am absolutely head over heels in love with you? These are just brilliant.
Karly-Well the feeling is mutual-oh, no it’s a chick-mance! 🙂
Julie-If we were neighbors, between cooking, sharing and eating we probably wouldn’t get anything else done. . . somehow, I would be okay with that.
You always have the best combinations!
looks so delicious
I eat popcorn and caramel corn pretty much daily. And if I could combine that with my cookie eating habit, I am in caramel corn/ cookie eating heaven!
Caramel corn in a cookie? Now that is a genius idea.
You know, I’m not normally a fan of “weird” things in my cookies. But damn do these look good!
I love this! Will definitely be trying the recipe. Did the popcorn get stale tasting at all?
Sally- I love your train of thought!
What’s not to love here? The way I see it, you have just made caramel corn 5 times more travel friendly!
Genius! I think these would be perfect to leave for Santa too, don’t cha think?
Wow, they look so delicious, cant wait to try this out
Corn outside Canada, the United States, and Australia means any cereal crop, its meaning understood to vary geographically to refer to the local staple. In Canada, the United States, and Australia, “corn” primarily means maize;’-
<Have a good day ,-''""http://www.caramoan.co/caramoan-tour
Can these be frozen without affecting the texture of the popcorn?
Hi Linda,
I’m not sure, as I haven’t tried it. If you do, please come back and let the rest of us know.