Caramel Filled Cookies

Instructions

1. 1

   Using an electric mixer, beat the soft butter with the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla for about 2 minutes until the mixture is soft and frothy. Add the egg and continue beating until a smooth, velvety cream forms.

   2 min

2. 2

   Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then incorporate them into the mixture all at once, beating with the mixer until a soft, malleable dough forms.

3. 3

   To shape the cookies, you can use a cookie press or a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm tip. On a lightly greased baking sheet, create heart-shaped cookies by joining two strips of dough and gently pressing the tip to define the shape.

4. 4

   Bake the cookies in a preheated static oven at 180°C (160°C fan oven) for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

   12 min

5. 5

   Meanwhile, prepare the dulce de leche: in a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reduces, thickens, and takes on a deep amber color, forming a spreadable cream that drips slowly from a spoon (about 50 minutes total).

   50 min

6. 6

   Let the dulce de leche cool to room temperature in a bowl or jar.

7. 7

   When the cookies and filling are cooled, fill the flat side of half the cookies with a teaspoon of dulce de leche, then top with another cookie. Finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt flakes on the filling that protrudes.

8. 8

   Arrange the finished cookies in a box or on a serving tray.