Chocolate brownie caramel thumbprint cookies 🍫🍪

I put these in my Christmas cookie boxes this year and they were a hit!

Ingredients for the cookies:

6 Tbsp salted butter, cubed

6.5 oz dark chocolate bar (60-70% cocoa, chopped)

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

2 large eggs room temperature

1 large egg yolk room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar packed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the homemade caramel:

1 cup white granulated sugar

6 tbsp butter, cubed

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Make the caramel first. In a saucepan over medium heat melt down the sugar. Once the sugar is melted down (after 5-6 mins) with no chunks and it is starting to become a light amber color, add the butter and stir. Once the butter is fully incorporated take off the heat and mix in the heavy whipping cream. Once that is fully mixed, add the vanilla and salt and stir. Pour into a heat safe bowl and set aside to come cool down and thicken.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt down the chocolate and butter. Once smooth stir in the vanilla.

3. In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat the white and brown sugars and the eggs together until light and fluffy for about 3-4 mins.

4. Adjust the mixer to low speed and slowly add in the chocolate butter mixture to the whipped sugar and egg mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Then gently fold that into the wet mixture by hand, not over mixing it.

6. With a cookie scoop or approximately 2 tbsp spoon, scoop out the dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Should make about 16-20 cookies depending on your scoop.

7. Bake for 8-10 minutes until shiny and cracked on the tops.

8. Once done, take out of the oven and use the back of a spoon to make an indent in the center of the cookies. Then allow for the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

9. Once cooled, spoon some of the caramel into the center indent of the cookies and allow to set.

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