Description
Soft, spiced ginger cookies filled with warm, gooey caramel centers that melt with every bite. Perfectly balanced with aromatic spices and a hint of molasses, these cookies make an ideal festive treat for holiday cookie trays or cozy evenings by the fire.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (80 g) molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 20–24 soft caramel candies (such as Werther’s or Kraft)
- 1–2 tbsp heavy cream (to soften caramels, optional)
For Rolling:
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well combined, creating a fragrant spiced base for the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with the packed brown sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated for rich flavor and moisture.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to form the cookie dough. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Chill Dough: Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle and shape.
- Soften Caramels: If your caramel candies are firm, microwave them with 1–2 tablespoons of heavy cream until slightly softened but still holding shape, then let them cool to avoid melting through the dough during baking.
- Form Cookies: Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of chilled dough and slightly flatten it. Place one caramel candy in the center, wrap the dough around it completely, and roll into a ball.
- Coat in Sugar: Roll each caramel-stuffed dough ball in granulated sugar to add a sweet, textured coating.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still appear slightly soft, to achieve a chewy texture with melted caramel inside.
- Cool and Serve: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up slightly before transferring them to a wire rack. Serve warm to enjoy the melting caramel centers at their best.
Notes
- Use soft, chewy caramel candies for the best melty texture inside the cookies.
- For a salted caramel twist, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of each cookie before baking.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days to maintain freshness.
- You can freeze unbaked cookie balls (without the sugar coating) for up to 2 months. Bake them directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes extra to the baking time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes chill time)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
