Name: Bourbon-Caramel Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 0.75 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 1 tablespoon bourbon; 1.75 cups all-purpose flour; 0.75 teaspoon baking soda; 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt; 0.125 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 8 ounces soft caramel candies, unwrapped (such as Kraft) (1 ¼ cups, 27 caramels); 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream; Flaky sea salt

Bourbon Caramel Cookies — Photo: Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

Yield:

2 dozen

Buttery, soft, and oh-so-delicious, these Bourbon-Caramel Cookies boast all your favorite fall sensations. Thanks to brown sugar and flakey sea salt, these homemade cookies are hard to turn down. The addition of nutmeg gives the cookies a little spice, and the soft caramel candies make the topping simple—but delicious. For the caramel spread, you'll need about eight ounces of soft caramels, a little bit of heavy cream, and a quick zap in the microwave. If you need a task for little helpers, have them unwrap the candies. They can also help sprinkle flakey sea salt on the finished batch, though keeping them from diving right into a bite when the cookies cool may be harder than you think. The caramel will spread easily, but make sure that the cookies are completely cooled. Otherwise, you risk the caramel sliding right off. The finished cookie is a buttery delight, with a gooey, salted caramel layer that will tempt everyone. These Bourbon-Caramel cookies will last up to a week stored in an airtight container, but there's a heavy bet they won't even last that long.

Ingredients

¾ cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 ounces soft caramel candies, unwrapped (such as Kraft) (1 ¼ cups, 27 caramels)
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Flaky sea salt

Directions

Cream butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer running on medium-low speed, add egg, beating until just combined. Beat in bourbon on medium-low until just combined. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F, and position oven racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Portion dough with a 1 ½-tablespoon scoop; roll each portion into a ball using hands, and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake both baking sheets together in preheated oven, rotating position of baking sheets halfway through, until edges are light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets, about 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Place caramels and cream in a medium-size microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH, 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth, about 75 seconds to 90 seconds total. Spoon caramel mixture onto cooled cookies, about 1 generous teaspoon per cookie. Spread in an even layer, leaving ¼-inch border; garnish immediately with flaky salt. Let stand at room temperature until caramel sets, about 15 minutes.