~ My Nestlē Toll House Sea Salt & Caramel Cookies ~

What the heck is a baking truffle?  Had I been asked this question a few short weeks ago, I'd have been at a loss for an answer.  That said, it's one of the best new-to-me inventions in quite some time. I don't refer to myself as a consummate baker, but, I do keep my cookie jars (four, small apothecary-type jars at our coffee bar) full of homemade cookies at all times.  For the most part, it does take Joe and I a bit of time, a two-to-three weeks, to eat them all, but, when the jars are empty, I bake cookies again, and, I'm always in search of a new recipe or twist on an old one.

Hello Nestlē sea salt and caramel baking truffles.  Just reading the label made my mouth start to water. I've always loved milk-chocolate-covered soft-caramels, and, when sprinkled with a touch of sea salt, all the better.  Nestlē's baking truffles, which resemble tiny candies rather than teardrop-shaped chocolate chips, are:  soft caramels enrobed in Nestlē's signature semi-sweet chocolate.  I bought eighteen nine-ounce bags.  I've got plans for these, starting with cookies.

When it comes to Toll House cookies, aka, chocolate chip cookies in general, there are two kinds of people:  those who add nuts (usually pecans or walnuts), and, those who do not.  I'm a nutty kinda gal.  My husband is not a nutty kinda guy.  There's more.  Our grandson is allergic to nuts, so, nuts of any kind are not in the cards when I'm baking cookies for him.  So, while today's cookies are nut-free, it is not unusual to find my cookie jars full of nutty chocolate chip cookies, chocked full of coarse-chopped, lightly-toasted crunchy pecans or walnuts.

Nestlē Toll House cookies made w/Nestlē sea salt caramel baking truffles.  Need I say any more than that?

2 1/4  cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon each:  baking powder, baking soda and salt

1  cup salted butter, at room temperature, very soft (2 sticks)

3/4  cup granulated sugar

3/4  cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

2  teaspoons each: pure chocolate extract and pure vanilla extract

2  large eggs, preferably at room temperature

18  ounces Nestlē sea salt & caramel baking truffles

~Step 1.  In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients:  the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and, salt.  In a large bowl place the butter, both sugars, and both extracts.  On high-speed of hand-held electric mixer, beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the two eggs, about 1 minute.  Lower mixer speed, add the flour and gradually incorporate it into the mixture, until a smooth, sticky dough forms.

~ Step 2.  Using a large rubber spatula, add and fold in the baking truffles. Using a 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop as a measure, drop cookies, well-apart, onto each of 4, parchment-lined, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans (15 per pan).

~ Step 3.  Bake, one-pan-at-a-time on center rack of 325° oven, 13-14 minutes, until light-golden. Remove from oven and use a small spatula to transfer to a wire cooling rack, to cool completely, prior to storing in an air-tight container.

Patience people.  Cool cookies.  Then, ready your glass of milk:

Crispy, chewy, thin, delicate, &, full of chocolate-caramel flavor:

My Nestlē Toll House Sea Salt & Caramel Cookies:  Recipe yields 5 dozen 2 1/2"-round cookies.

Special Equipment List: hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 4, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans; parchment paper; 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop; wire cooling rack; small spatula

Cook's Note: The Nestlē Crunch Bar -- creamy milk chocolate chocked full of crunchy-crisped rice.  It, along with the Reese's peanut butter cup (milk chocolate and peanut butter) is at the top of my "favorite candy bars list".  As with several other favorites, for an adult activity, I prefer to chop up said candy bars and bake cookies with their bits and pieces -- I prefer a cookie to a candy bar and I adore a candy bar in a cookie. Try my ~ Milk-Chocolate-Lovers Nestlē-Crunch-Bar Cookies ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2020)

Comments

[KitchenEncounters]

Rita -- I'm sorry you did not like the flavor of the dark chocolate or the cookies, but your disappointment is misplaced. Bitch to Neste Toll House about what you think about their baking truffles, not me -- I, along with others, happen to like them. Also, my recipe is not the recipe on their package, so bitch to them about that too.

[Rita M Lee]

I followed the recipe for truffle cookie on the package to be polite they are terrible. The dark chocolate masks
that beautiful caramel. Do you have them in milk chocolate. I would not make these again.