⅜cupunsweetened cocoa powder(I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate)
½teaspoonbaking soda
⅛teaspoonsalt
½cupbutter,room temperature
½cupbrown sugar,packed
½cupgranulated sugar
1egg
1teaspoonvanilla
24Rolos or other chocolate covered caramel candy
¼cuppecans,finely chopped
1 ½teaspoonssugar
6caramels
1 ½teaspoonsheavy cream, half & half or light cream
1Tablespooncoarse sea salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cookies
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter for a minute or until creamy. Add sugars and continue to beat until smooth and well incorporated. With mixer still running, add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
With mixer still running, add egg, and vanilla extract.
Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture slowly and beat until well mixed.
Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. This will make it easier to form around candies.
While dough is chilling, unwrap Rolos and place in freezer so they are firm and easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix chopped nuts and 1 tablespoon sugar together in small bowl.
To Assemble
Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and flatten with fingers. Place 1 Rolo in the center and wrap dough around it. Then roll in hand to form a ball. Drop into nut-sugar mixture and roll around to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2" apart.
Roll in sweetened nuts to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing each cookie about 2" apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until tops start to crack. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel Drizzle
In a microwave-safe bowl, place caramels and cream. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in-between, until caramels are melted and smooth.
Drizzle over cookies then sprinkle with a little sea salt.
When glaze has cooled, store in airtight container.
Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
DO NOT OVERBAKE! It is hard to tell when dark-colored cookies are done but when the baking time is up take them out. They will look undone but will finish baking as they cool.
You can make the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to assemble and bake the cookies.
Use coarse salt for garnish as it will sit on top of the cookie. Never use table salt as it will just sink into the cookie making them too salty.
Don't use Kraft caramels in place of the Rolos as they tend to stay very firm after baking. And you definitely want that warm, soft, oozing caramel.