Love Bites

Love Bites

Peanut butter cookies sandwiched with chewy caramel and chocolate. These are yummy and well worth the effort.  My kids both really like these cookies, and  one is enough to feel like you have had a real treat. Makes 36 cookies

Cookie
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375°.  Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix until well blended.  In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add to butter mixture and blend well.  Turn dough out onto cookie sheet and press flat covering the base of the cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 or 2 min only.  Using small cookie cutter (I used a 2" heart), cut out shapes from the cookie.  Move quickly, as the cookie will harden as it cools. Cut into 72 shapes.  These are the outside layers of the cookie sandwich.

Caramel
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment. Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly.  Once it has reached a boil, continue to cook for 9-10 min, until it lightens in colour slightly, and a dollop dropped in a glass of cold water forms a solid, yet soft malleable ball.  Remove from heat and immediately pour onto prepared pan.  Be careful it is extremely hot. Don't stir, or smooth out, this will change the texture of the finished caramel.  Just let it settle on its own.  Allow the caramel to cool completely. Cut out shapes with the same cookie cutter you used for the cookie layer. You will need 36 for the cookies (too bad you will have leftover caramel to munch on). Caramel should be soft and chewy, but still hold form. To make nice shapes, remove each heart as you cut it. If you leave it for even a minute it will start to stick back to the rest.

Chocolate
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips divided

This is not very fancy or technical, but in my experience the easiest way to work with melted chocolate that you intend to pipe.  Place 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into a baggie. Heat it the microwave on high for  approx. 40 seconds.  Remove, seal baggie and smoosh with your hands until all chocolate is melted. Snip a small hole in the corner of the baggie to pipe.  Repeat with remaining 1/2 when you're ready for it.

Assemble the Cookie

Now that you have all of the layers prepared you can assemble the cookies.  Take one cookie, pipe on some melted chocolate, place a caramel on top. Set aside to set.  Repeat until you have used all 36 caramels. This will take one baggie of chocolate.  Once all of the bottoms have been assembled and have set, melt the next baggie of chocolate.  Pipe remaining chocolate on top of the caramel layer and place a cookie on top, finishing the "sandwich"  Allow to set completely. Enjoy! Store in an air tight container.

 

Heavenly Caramel Tarts

Heavenly Caramel Tarts

What could be more delicious than a chocolate shortbread tart filled with gooey caramel and topped with salted peanuts?  These are decadent, melt in your mouth, delicious little bites of heaven! 

Chocolate Shortbread Tart Shell

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 1/3 cup flour

2 tbsp cocoa

Cream butter and sugar.  Add Flour and cocoa, mix well.  You do not need to roll the tart shells out.  Using mini muffin tins, simply press approx one rounded tablespoon of dough into each muffin cup, coming up the sides.  Prick bottoms with a fork.

Bake @ 325° for 10 min.  Remove from oven, prick bottoms for a second time, return to oven and bake an additional 10 min.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Caramel Filling
This is the same caramel that is used for the love bites, it is simply taken off the heat earlier.

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly.  Once it has reached a boil, continue to cook for 6-7 min. Remove from heat and immediately spoon caramel into prepared tart shells.  Allow to cool until the top of the caramel is slightly set.
Coarsely chop 1/3 cup salted peanuts and sprinkle on top of the tarts.