Yes. You read that right. These cookies are outrageous. I’m gonna warn you up front – they just won “Most Addictive” in my office cookie competition…oh, I mean swap.

And there’s only a tiny amount of butter ;)

Hey, why not?! It’s Christmas! Let’s just go for it, shall we? You can skip out on something else later, but these cookies should not be passed up. They should also be the star of your Christmas cookie production line this coming week. I am a little biased though, because I happen to (correctly) believe that salted caramel is the stuff of gods – you could put it atop practically anything and it would sing with that heavenly sweet and salty river of flavor that rushes over your taste buds making your heart skip two beats and your knees weak.

…did I go too far? What can I say? It’s cookies like these that make me really really love running.

The chocolate shortbread is delicate in texture but bursting with rich dark chocolate and toasted nuts. The cookies aren’t too sweet, so the caramel filling balances them out, creating the perfect sandwich. I hope I don’t have to reiterate at this point, but these cookies should be make and consumed immediately. Merry Christmas!

Here’s what I did:

Chocolate Walnut Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Salted Caramel Filling
*recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.

Sift into a medium bowl, then set aside:
-2½ c. all-purpose flour
-½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 tsp. kosher salt
-¼ tsp. baking soda

In a large mixer, beat on high speed for about 4 minutes:
-2½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
-1¼ c. packed dark brown sugar
-1 tsp. vanilla extract

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, and then mix in:
-1 large egg white

Then mix in until just combined:
-½ c. chopped dark chocolate
-1 c. toasted walnuts, chopped

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8”-long log about 1½” in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (The colder your dough, the easier it will be to slice.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the dough into ¼” rounds and place ½” apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet (they hardly spread during baking). Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before assembling the sandwiches.

For the Salted Caramel Filling:

In a small pot, melt together over medium heat, stirring constantly:
-½ c. brown sugar
-½ c. sugar
-1 stick salted butter

Once melted together, add in:
-½ c. cream
-1 tsp. salt

Let the mixture bubble for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the caramel will coat the back of a spoon. Taste and add more salt if desired…I did, but I like mine on the saltier side. Take it off the heat and let cool. Refrigerate the caramel so that it is thick enough to spread on the cookies. If the caramel is too thin, you can beat in half of a stick of softened butter to thicken it.

Take a small spoonful of the caramel and spread it on one cookie. Sandwich it with another, and make sure to try one (batch control, ya know). Keep goin until they’re all sandwiched! Cover them and refrigerate for about an hour to make sure the caramel is set. Serve to anyone you need to win over or all your favorite people. Enjoy!

French phrase of the day:
Je suis en Floride chez grand-père pour les vacances de Noël!
I’m in Florida at my grandpa’s for Christmas vacation!

This is how they do Christmas down in Florida…