**Note: I just made the cookies again and played around with the ingredients so they are still cake-y but not quite as cake-y. This version is even better!!**
New Version
Old Version
Yes, that name is a mouthful. And so are these cookies! They are a chocolate-y, caramel-y mouthful. The holidays are one of the few times a year that I really crave sweets. Probably because they are EVERYWHERE. I had a holiday party last weekend, and the room was filled with sweets. I attended a work party two days ago, and, again, I couldn’t move without knocking into a plate of cookies. Usually, I can resist, but I’ve had enough. I must eat cookies!!!
One issue that I have with sweets is the hidden dairy. It’s one thing to indulge in a big plate of Brie. I know I’m eating dairy. I know I will probably feel like crap afterwards. But I also know that it is worth it because it’s Brieeeeee! Unless you’re eating a cheesecake or whipped cream topped brownies, it’s easy to forget that when you pick up a cookie, you’re getting a heaping helping of dairy. And, sorry cookies, but I don’t love you enough to waste my dairy intake on you. Fortunately, there are a ton of dairy substitutes that work like a charm in baking. Now, I only have to feel halfway guilty when I devour an entire plate of goodness.
Healthy Recipe Ecstasy? These cookies do make me a bit ecstatic! I can’t say that they are super healthy because there is a good amount of sugar in the recipe. BUT, as I said above, they are dairy-free or mostly dairy-free depending on the chocolate you use, so it that’s your dietary issue, then you’re good to go! What I like most about these cookies (other than the salted caramel sauce because that’s a given) is that they turned out fluffy, almost like a cake. I like thin, crisp cookies as much as the next girl, but this cake-like cookie is the perfect texture to hold up to the big chunks of gooey chocolate. It’s like eating cake and a cookie all in one! You can use regular or dairy-free chocolate chips if you want, but seriously, I really really recommend using the Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt. It’s my favorite chocolate, and the way it bakes is magic. Triple yum! One yum for the chocolate, one yum for the caramel, and one yum for the sea salt because sea salt makes everything better!
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons Bourbon
- 3.5 ounces (one full bar) of Lindt Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt broken up into little pieces or 1 (12-oz) package of dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup coconut milk fat
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Sea Salt
- Move oven rack to the top of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix applesauce and sugars in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and oil, beating until blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in bourbon. Then, stir in chocolate.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes or to desired degree of doneness.
- While the cookies are baking, make the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, bring coconut milk fat and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the fat melts and mixture is smooth. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Let simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Once cookies are cooled, drizzle a spoonful of caramel sauce over each cookie.
- Top each cookie with a sprinkle of sea salt. Dig in!!! MMMM….!
