Dark Chocolate & Whipped Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies – dark and rich, the cookies are sandwiched with a salty-sweet, intense burst of caramel filling. Jump to Recipe
I hardly ever watch movies on planes anymore. For the last year and a half, every plane trip between New Zealand and Australia, or on a leg of an overseas adventure, has been taken up with writing and photo-editing, preparing posts in the knowledge that I am unlikely to have time for at my destination. Today is no different – we have just ascended to the altitude where seatbelt signs are turned off and electronic items allowed to be used, and as it is a nighttime flight, I am taking advantage of the likely brief time before the person in front of me decides to recline their seat and make using a laptop near impossible. In eight hours time we will be in Singapore, and after another eight hours of attempting to grab sleep in Changi airport, we board another short flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. An unknown country and culture – the wash of 36°C heat, jungle and Khmer ruins as far removed from Melbourne’s rain and exams as I can imagine.
I have been trying to learn about the two different yet interlinked histories we will see the most of during our time in Cambodia: the ancient Khmer civilization of Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples, and the more recent horrors of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s. The former is fascinating but still so far removed from our lives today – though new discoveries in the last few years have unearthed that the Angkor Wat City may have been the largest Empire in the world at its peak in the 12th century. Using new laser technology and surveying from the air, archeologists have revealed multiple undocumented medieval cities and a landscape of water systems previously hidden by jungle.
The Killing Fields and the S21 Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh have been established as “must-see’s” for tourists – a brutally confronting look at the atrocities that occurred from 1975-79 . It feels odd, though – Western tourists arriving en mass to spend an hour or two learning about the labour camps and genocide Cambodian people survived only 35 years ago, in a country that remains one of the poorest in the world. Food shortages are still faced by 2/3s of the country seasonally, women do not have equal access to education and employment, and health care is minimal.
It is an era that I have never heard much about – the Vietnam War was studied in detail at school, probably due to the involvement of NZ and Australia and its setting in the Cold War, but the events in Cambodia, though triggered by the political turmoil in Vietnam, didn’t get a mention. I have been reading both When Broken Glass Floats, a memoir by Chanrithy Him of her childhood under the Khmer Rouge, and In the Shadow of the Banyan, a fictional memoir by Vaddy Ratner of the same period – gut-wrenching accounts of a sort of life I can’t begin to imagine. The genocide was on a scale of that of the Nazis – it is estimated that between two and three million Cambodians (25% of the total population) died during the four years through famine, forced labour, mass executions and lack of basic medicine.
For a time after immigrating to Oregon, Chanrithy Him worked as a researcher, recording the accounts of other Cambodian survivors to help study post-traumatic stress disorder in refugees fleeing war – facing her own memories in the experiences of others, again and again. Relieving it. She wrote that “the cost of war is a lifelong legacy borne by children” – those survivors made parentless, children shaped by the pain and suffering inflicted at a young age. She wrote this pre-2000, when the war in Bosnia and Rwanda was the most recent generation of these horrors – and it is scary that 16 years later, it continues around the world. We currently have the most displaced people ever in history, made refugees by the events in Syria as well as conflict in areas of sub-Sarahan Africa (especially Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria), Myanmar, Pakistan and the Middle East – of whom over half are children.
I’m not sure exactly where my next post will be from – most likely from the 6 hour bus ride between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh sometime this week. Until then, I will leave you with these whipped salted caramel chocolate brownie sandwich cookies. It’s no regular cookie recipe – deep, dark and studded with chocolate chunks, the cookies are almost brownie-like in consistency. You have permission to eat two at once when they are sandwiched together with possibly my favourite frosting yet – homemade salted caramel beaten up into a fluffy, intense burst of salty-sweet butterscotch flavour. In the past I’ve only made salted caramel icing by adding the caramel to a buttercream, diluting that flavour with the butter and icing sugar – this is much, much better, It works because of the butter cooling down inside the caramel, allowing it to be creamed like a butter-sugar mixture would. They are cookies to impress – cookies for an occasion, or as a present, or just as a spur of the moment baking feast – you choose.
UPDATE: I have just realised I cannot lean my seat back because the knees of the tall person behind me prevent it….seriously?! 6.5 hours to go…
UPDATE 2: We survived the flight. Singapore Airport at 3am is eerily quiet – the bonus being that we have huge stretches of seats to ourselves. With ambient classical piano music and blankets subtly swiped from the previous flight, what more could you want!
The dark cocoa used in this recipe was provided by Liberty Cocoa, a new start-up cocoa supplier in Melbourne supplying fair-trade cocoa from Ghana.
- 3/4 cup castor sugar
- 100 g butter , unsalted
- 1/2 cup cream
- sea salt
- vanilla essence
- 200 g dark chocolate , chopped
- 70 g butter
- 2/3 cup caster sugar (150g)? or 70
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup plain flour (70g)
- 100 g dark chocolate chunks
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To make the caramel, first measure out all the components so you are ready to go (it happens quickly!).
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Heat the sugar in a medium pot over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. It will form clumps and start to melt into an amber liquid - watch carefully, ensuring it doesn’t catch/burn.
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When it is melted and golden-brown, add the butter and whisk until combined (this may take a couple of minutes). Be careful as the caramel will bubble and steam vigorously.
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Drizzle in the cream slowly, again whisking constantly until fully combined (1-2 minutes). Remove from the heat.
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Stir in the vanilla and salt to taste. Put in the fridge to cool for at least 1-2 hours, until cold.
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Preheat oven to 180°C.
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Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
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Melt the first measurement (200g) of chocolate and the butter togtether in a bowl over a small simmering pot of water. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a bowl with a hand beater, place the eggs and sugar. Beat for 5-10 minutes on high until light and fluffy (should almost hold a ribbon shape). Sift over the cocoa and instant coffee and whisk to combine.
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Pour ⅓ of the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and mix well, then pour the remaining melted chocolate in and mix again.
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Add the vanilla, salt, flour and baking powder and mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Fold in the dark chocolate chunks.
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Drop tablespoon of mixture onto the baking trays, leaving space inbetween for spreading. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
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Allow to rest on the baking trays for 5-10 minutes and then carefully transfer to a cooling rack.
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Place 1 cup of COLD caramel in a bowl and beat with an electric hand beater until light, fluffy and spreadable - about 5 minutes. If the caramel is still warm and runny, it won't beat into a frosting consistency.
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Liberally spread the salted caramel frosting on a cookie , then sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Woah, Claudia!!! I don’t know where to start…..these sandwich cookies….your photos….your story…. Amazing!!! I couldn’t stop reading or giggling because I feel your pain re: long haul flights, blogging “homework” (I was in LA a few weeks ago, worked the entire time there and back!) and not being able to recline??? AGH!!!!
Have an incredible time in Cambodia! Quite a coincidence, I was thinking about whether to pop over there or to Vietname for a quick trip in the next couple of months!!! N x
Thank you so much Nagi!!! So glad you could relate to my first world flight problems haha!
Definitely head to vietnam or cambodia if you get the chance! Food is incredible, I’m sure you will come back with a bucketload of blog inspiration. xx
PS Sharing!!! These seriously need to be seen by the WORLD!!!
Omg, stop it. Whipped salted caramel is the greatest idea ever.
Have the best best best time on your travels lady! xx
Thank you Hannah!! The travels were amazing but over WAY too quickly… still treasuring those memories of sunshine for these rainy Melbourne days. xx
i didn’t learn much about cambodia either until a recent (college) class about religions in se asia; there was little to no mention about cambodia in middle school/high school (both focused on the us). it makes sense that different things have different weight and importance, but a mention of cambodia beyond its geographical location would have been nice.
anyways, love the sound of these! anything with whipped salted caramel is a heck yes for me. and i have such trouble cutting normal brownies nicely (what are straight edges anyways?), so these cookeis sound like the perfect way to have a brownie but not deal with potentially mangling them.
So interesting as well with the current controversy over how the bombings in Iraq and Bangladesh have had so little media coverage compared to their Western counterparts..
Thank so much Heather! Haha cutting slices are the worst – I think the most epic fail I have had is with a chocolate caramel slice with a layer of hardened chocolate ganache on the surface, which proceeded to crack into about a billion pieces as I tried to cut it! x
Wow these look incredible and your travels must be super exciting I hope you have a wonderful time.
Thanks so much Rebecca! x
Safe travels, Claudia! These cookies OMGOMGOMG x
Thanks Erin!! xx
These look so delicious!
Claudia!! I have been lusting for these all day. If only your photos offered a take away service too haha. Have the best time in Cambodia and take it all in. Enjoy your time, get a tan and eat some yummy food! There is a reason why your blog is my favourite time and time again, it is because your writing and photos tell such a great story about who you are and what your journey is. Can’t wait to catch up and hear all about your adventures.
hahah a blog photo takeaway service would be the BEST, only I’d get super fat from ordering from everybody’s blogs all day!! Thank you so much, that seriously means a heck of a lot Lynette. We really need to catch up soon! I’m around most weekends now so just let me know what suits you best xx
SO yea I totally need like five of these cookies pronto! Have the most amazing time in Cambodia.
Thanks Nicole! I need them again now too…they didn’t last for very long around here! Hope your week is going well x
What a post, Claudia, nestled between beautiful pictures of the yummiest cookie/brownie sandwich ever, the story of brutal atrocities suffered by Cambodians, your description of the uncomfortable flight… You always take me on a journey and I love love your creations. Big fan, here 🙂 ! Enjoy your time in Cambodia and take care!
Thank you so much Nicoletta, that means a lot and I really appreciate your (way too kind) words! I did have an amazing time, Cambodia was everything and more that I had imagined. Hopefully will get some photos up sometime! x
Hi Claudia, I was really excited to try your recipe when I saw it because let’s be honest it looks amazing! I did however encounter some issues and was hoping you could clarify. I am an amateur cook and by no means want you to feel any malice from my questions! After attempting the recipe I noticed a few things that didn’t quite work out for me, it didn’t state when to add the melted chocolate and butter back into the mixture? Also which type of flour do you suggest as the recipe just stated flour. I am wondering if the eggs should just be egg whites? As it didnt triple and become fluffy for me with whole eggs. My last question is should the caramel be whipped with anything other than the mixture itself because mine wouldn’t become ‘frosting’ like after trying to whip with the beater on its own. I’d love to hear from you to see if you have any advice for my issues? Thanks for your time 🙂
Hi Rhiannon! So sorry that you had those issues!
– Thanks for picking up the lack of instructions about the chocolate and butter- I have amended that now, it should be added after the eggs have been beaten.
– They are whole eggs, not egg whites – after 5 minutes of beating they should be much lighter in colour and almost hold a ribbon shape. If they don’t quite get there the recipe shouldn’t be affected too much though.
– The flour you use is just plain flour/standard flour
– And the caramel should just be whipped by itself 🙂 it just needs to be cold – if you use warm/hot caramel it won’t become a frosting consistency.
Hope that helps Rhiannon and no worries at all 🙂 xx
I had that same experience — with the eggs never gaining in volume or getting fluffy at all. Well acquainted with cooking cooking fails as I am, though, I soldiered on and the cookies I ended up with were still OUTSTANDING. Like, fancy-bakery-that-people-wait-in-45-minute-lines-to-procure-cookies-from, good. These are my new favorite special treat dessert. I’m making them for everyone’s birthdays from now on, just to have an excuse to have one or two for myself.
I didn’t end up using the chocolate chunks b/c it didn’t sound like these cookies needed it and texture-wise I think they were better without.
The whipped caramel filling idea is brilliant (mine didn’t get as fluffy-soft as frosting, but I may have over-cooked the caramel or maybe it was too cold when I whipped it, but it was delicious and texturally lovely nonetheless). Though I’m thinking come December I might like to try to find a peppermint filling I could use. Nom nom nom.
For those like me who don’t have instant coffee, subbing regular ground coffee leaves a bit of a strong coffee taste, so next time, I think I’d reduce that. Because, OMG, there are going to be so many next times. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Hey Elizabeth! I’m so glad it worked out for you, that is amazing to hear and such good feedback. I may have to make them again soon myself and see how the eggs whip up – I haven’t made them for a while. Thanks again
CLAUDIA!!! Cambodia?!?! Omg have the most amazing time.
And these sandwich cookies! Holy crap. Your photography is stunning too (per the norm).
Sending you love and safe travel wishes!!! <3
Thanks so much Erica! It was incredible and i have totally fallen in love with Cambodia, it just flew past WAY WAY WAY too fast!! Hope your july 4th holiday was amazing! xx
Claudia… looooove that story…it is my pet peeve as well when I cannot work on my blog in the plane because the person in front of has reclined…grrrrr. Thats typically when I contort myself and attempt to work regardless 🙂 Although I must say I am a sucker for watching movies on the plane 🙂 I LOVE THESE COOKIES! Like seriously LOVE! Amazing and delicious! Glad you had a great trip and flight 🙂
Hahah I’m so glad other people can relate to my little in-flight grumbles.. thanks Mila! xx
Magnificent Claudia! These brownie cookies look sensational! And that whipped caramel frosting looks out of this world!
Thanks so much Jess! xx
I am drooling over that whipped salted caramel! Seriously, amazing stuff right there. And hello, who doesn’t love brownie cookies! I could just eat these all up <3
Thanks Beeta! I couldn’t believe I hadn’t tried whipping straight salted caramel before – definitely give it a go. Hope your week is going well x
Yum, these look amazing!
Hi Claudia, I just found your page and your work is amazing!
I was thinking of doing this cookies and before starting I have some questions.
It says that one should use instant coffee. Is this just the powder it self or mixt with water? And then I was wondering if you think it is possible making them smaller? So I have more with the same amount of dough (having them less time in the oven). I am throwing a get-together party to celebrate our marriage and that our son turns one year and I think this could go perfect as a small luxurious thing to nib on!
Kind regards
Gabriela
Hi Gabriela! Thank you so much 🙂 they would be a great nibble for your party!
The instant coffee I’m referring to is just the powder itself (that you would normally mix with water to drink, but you don’t add water for this recipe). Is that what you mean?
And you can definitely make them smaller, just check them during cooking as they will likely take 2-3 minutes less time to cook.
Hope it all goes well and let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Claudia x
yum!did you make up the recipe
I adapted it from Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats with a different filling! 🙂
yum! I substituted the flour with gluten free flour and they still worked out amazing!
Yay that is fantastic to hear, so glad that worked well for you!
HI! How would you store the cookies? warm regards from zurich!
Hi Mirjam! I would store them in an airtight container, at room temperature (as long as it wasn’t too hot) for a day, then after that I would store them in the fridge as there is cream in the salted caramel filling.
Hope that helps!