Originally appears on jayemsey.com

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookie Cups

I tried this recipe as an experience about a month ago, and they came out amazing. It was posted by a guy on Imgur claiming it was "the perfect cookie," so of course I had to test it. As it turns out, they're pretty damn near perfect, and I'll definitely be making them again. They were quite time-consuming, but the end result made them very worth it.

For the caramel:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch coarse sea salt

In a small pot or tall-sided sauce pan, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil (it should bubble lightly). Do not stir, but swirl the pan a few times so it doesn't burn. As soon as it's boiling, drop in the cream and butter. Lower the heat and stir. It should "bubble furiously" according to the recipe, which is why you need a tall-sided sauce pan. Return to high heat and continue stirring, until it turns from a cream-yellow color to a rich, nutty brown color. The mixture will start out bubbly and slimy but will become smooth and viscous, and it should drip off your spoon in ribbons when it's done. Pour into a heavily-greased flat pan or dish (we used a glass bowl, which I do not recommend). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, sprinkle with salt liberally, and let stand for another 60 minutes. You can also substitute ready-made caramel squares if you want to save time, but I promise the homemade kind is much better.

For the cookie:

• 1 cup (two sticks) butter (do not combine)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda (I didn't have this so I used 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

In a small sauce pan (I suggest a silver-coated one), melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter is dark brown and smells nutty. The top will foam up and there will be brown sediment forming at the bottom which is okay, but MAKE SURE it doesn’t turn black. That means the butter is burning. Remember how I said to use a silver-coated one? We ruined two sticks of butter because the heat was too high and we couldn’t see what color the butter was. The butter should turn brown, but after it does it burns very fast. Take it off the heat before you need to, because the pan will still be hot and the butter will continue to cook even with no flame. When it’s done, pour it into a small bowl and set aside (you can put it in the refrigerator for faster cooling).

In the large mixing bowl, combine the other stick of butter and the brown sugar. Cream on high for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the cooled brown butter and the granulated sugar.  Continue beating on high for another 2 minutes, adding the eggs one at a time. Texture should be light and soft. Sift the dry ingredients, turn the mixer down to a low setting, and add them in three parts, mixing after each one.

Remove dough from bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, turn your caramel out onto a cutting board and cut into small squares using a greased knife or pizza wheel. They should be roughly the size of Hershey’s kisses. Pull dough out of the refrigerator and portion into 1 oz balls. Stuff each one with a caramel portion, making sure the caramel is completely hidden. Drop each ball into a cup in a lightly-greased mini-muffin tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (I did 12). Cookies should be lightly brown around the edges and soft on top. Turn upside-down onto a cooling rack, and let stand for at least five minutes before eating.

Enjoy!