I came up with this recipe when I wanted to make cookies, but I didn't want to make another kind of chocolate chip-type cookie. I still wanted a drop cookie, and I had some pistachios left over from making the salted pistachio meringues from Ina Garten's Modern Comfort Food cook book (10/10 recommend the book and the meringue recipe). At that point I decided I was making pistachio cookies, but I needed to add something else. I thought about white chocolate chips, but that was inconsistent with my "no chocolate chip cookies" mood. Salted caramel seemed like a good choice to try. I have to admit I didn't used to like salted caramel very much. I still only really like it in certain applications, which is really bizarre to me since I usually love a sweet + salty combo.
Recipe Notes
I also love making my own caramel, but I thought that was a little dicey to do for a recipe I was planning to post for others to make. My first time making caramel was quite a disaster and it caught on fire. I underestimated how fast that can go up in flames. I was in high school when that happened, but I decided to ignore my candy thermometer, and ended up running out the back door onto the patio with a flaming pot. To keep this recipe on the simpler (and safer) side, I chose soft caramel candies.
I've made these with both the traditional soft caramels as well as Goetze's Caramel Creams. The backstory on the caramel creams - I forgot to pick up the "regular" caramels at the store and popped into the convenience store when I stopped for gas. Goetze's Caramel Creams is what they had, so I gave it a shot. The melted cream portion added an interesting dimension to the cookies. Sugar Spun Run has a recipe for Homemade Caramel Candy if you want to try making your own soft caramels.
I've tried this recipe salting the cookies both before and after baking, and I definitely recommend after. The salt keeps more of its crunch, and it makes for a more visually appealing presentation.
If you're looking for other cookie recipes, check out my cookie collection. My Candy Bar Cookies, like this recipe, also use candy.
Pistachio & Salted Caramel Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie scoop optional
- Parchment paper optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- 10 soft caramel candies chopped
- 1 cup chopped pistachios
- fleur de sel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° (325° for convection)
- Microwave butter for 45 seconds (it will be partially melted).½ cup unsalted butter
- Cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until mixture gets light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.¼ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add egg and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. (Tip: Creak egg into a glass or separate small bowl in case you get shell fragments. Much easier to get them out from there than the cookie dough!)1 egg
- Mix in vanilla.1 tsp vanilla
- Mix in baking soda.¾ tsp baking soda
- Add gradually (recommend ¼ cup at a time) and mix until all flour is incorporated.1¼ cups all purpose flour
- Mix in pistachios, then caramels.1 cup chopped pistachios, 10 soft caramel candies
- Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheet (recommend lining with parchment paper) in approximately 1 tablespoon portions. Leave space between for expansion during cooking.
- Bake for about 14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Recommend checking the cookies at the 10 minute mark, then in 2 minute increments thereafter. Various factors can cause cooking times to vary.
- Remove cookies from oven. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Transfer to a wire baking rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate for one serving.
