I had a terrible craving for cookies the other day and it made me think of the the cookie sandwich I had at Magnolia a few years ago. So soft and the frosting just squished out everywhere when I bit into it.
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I used leftover caramel pieces I bought in the US to make caramel cookies but any kind of chip would work nicely. The selection of chips in the UK is pretty boring so I used what I had left in my secret stash from my last trip back home (if you don't have access to something like caramel bits then some chopped nuts would be a good alternative).
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I paired the caramel cookie with a brown sugar frosting.These are not fancy cookies. No piping allowed and the filling must spill out a little when slathered on!

Have a glass of milk handy for these!

Caramel & Brown Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups caramel bits or chips of your choice

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1. Make the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Whisk the flour and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt and eggs. Beat until combined.

3. Add in the flour and combine. Fold in the caramel bits.

4. Using a cookie scoop place each scoop of dough 2 inches apart on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Place on a cooling rack.

5. Make the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan.

6. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

7. Add the milk, bring to a boil for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool until luke warm.

8. Gradually add in the sifted icing sugar. Beat until thick enough to spread on the cookie. If the frosting becomes too thick add a drop of hot water.

9. Slather a generous amount on the inside of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk!

These are simply amazing! I was so excited when I saw this on the daring bakers for April. I have been patiently waiting for something to bake where I could candy bacon.

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com/!

Now that I've made candied bacon I don't think I'll ever make regular bacon again! Candied bacon would also taste great with pancakes. It's a little sweet and salty.

Maple, Chocolate Chip and Candied Bacon Cookie Cups filled with Maple Mousse

Ingredients

1 cup maple syrup

4 egg yolks

7g unflavored gelatine

1 1/2 cups whipping cream (I used double cream)

1 package bacon

pepper

1/3 cup brown sugar

Maple, Chocolate Chip & Candied Bacon Cookie Cups

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp maple extract

1/3 cup candied bacon, chopped

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Make the mousse by whipping 1 1/4 cups of the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.

2. In a small bowl mix a 1/4 cup whipping cream and gelatine in a small bowl. Leave for five minutes and then microwave for 10 seconds and stir until dissolved. Heat for another 10 seconds if needed.

3. In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks together.

4. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a saucepan and remove from the heat. Pour a small amount of the egg yolks and whisk (so they don't curdle). Pour in the rest of the maple syrup and the gelatine mixture. Whisk occasionally over the period of 1 hour.

5. Stir in 1/4 cup of the whipped cream done in step 1. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Cover and place in the fridge to set.

6. Make the candied bacon. Preheat oven to 325 F/ 160 C. Place the bacon in a bowl and mix the pepper and brown sugar. Place the strips on a foil lined baking sheet.

I used my favorite bacon that gets crisp when cooked. In the UK I've only seen this at Sainsbury's

7. Place a piece of foil on top and another baking tray on top and bake for 10 minutes. Check, sprinkle a little more brown sugar over top and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until crisp. I baked for a few minutes with the top tray taken off as well.

8. Make the cookie cups. Preheat oven to 350 F/180C and grease a muffin tray. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

9. Beat together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time until blended. Add the vanilla and maple extracts and beat until blended and fluffy.

10. Add the flour a little at a time, mixing until combined, Stir in the bacon and chocolate chips.


11. Using a cookie scoop place 2 rounds in each muffin tray and bake for 12 minutes.


12. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven take a teaspoon and gently press the center of the cookie to the sides to make a cup.

13. Leave in the tray for 5 minutes and then remove. Let cool completely.

14. Once the mousse has set place 1 tablespoon of mousse into each cup and top with a piece of candied bacon.

Enjoy, and if you're feeling generous share! I don't think I want to share my candied bacon.

Hobby Lobby to the rescue again!  This is what I found. {since they were on sale, I paid $1.40 for the set}

Of course I bought two...one, to bend, and a second to keep on-hand just in case I break the other.

I always remove the awful "grip" that comes on these. 

As far as I am concerned, Hobby Lobby can just skip that part.  It does't compare to the Wilton version.  But than again, that's probably how they can get away with letting them out the door for a dollar-forty!

After that, I squeezed it together just a tiny bit, until it looked right to me.

Then, after giving them 5-10 minutes to set, I applied sanding sugar.

After another 30 minutes or so, I added dark chocolate brown facial features.

I used a #2 tip and icing that was somewhere between piping and flood.  I wanted to get an "authentic" look.

By the way, when sanding your cookies, always do it over waxed paper.  Then it's this simple to put the leftover back in its container.

Before I teased everyone with a cutter that they could not find, I went on the hunt for something similar.  This is what I found.

I used an icing tip to help show the size of the cutters.  This year's is definitely smaller, but it will work.

I baked a batch of cupcakes, which now works way better for me since I discovered {Tidy Mom's recipe}, which you should definitely check out!

I made two different sets.  One on bamboo forks, which I buy at World Market, and some plain mini-Peeps.

I think I prefer the plain cookie this time...

Oh yes, and just in case someone likes to make things difficult, not reffering to anyone I know *ahem, me*, there is not a special double cutter to make a double Peep. {Yes, I actually asked someone this}  Simply bake two together.

I had to trim them a tiny bit, but it worked perfectly!

Of course, if you are not near a Hobby Lobby, or if this is a little too much work for you, Copper Gifts carries a {Bunny Bun Cutter} in both small and large sizes, which is PERFECT for this.

But... for seasonal and rarely used cutters, adapting an inexpensive one works for me =)

I hope it will work for you too!

After I started making these I remembered why I hate cut out cookies. I can never get the shapes to be perfect! Besides that small part they are fun to make. Different fillings and different shapes the possibilities are pretty much endless.

I did strawberry jam centers with cookie icing (the bottled kind from Wilton) drizzled on top and melted chocolate mixed with peanut butter drizzled with peanut butter on top.
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This is about as neat as I can decorate
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