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Study: The Coconut & Thyroid Connection
I wouldn’t recommend using this same recipe to create regular cookies, as it is optimized for cookies made in a miniature muffin tin. And alternatively, don’t use your favorite cookie recipe as a substitute, because it may not bake well in the miniature muffin tin.
To make these miniature cookie cups, you will start with a miniature muffin tin. You’ll want to really grease the tin well with non-stick spray. Don’t use cupcake liners, as the cookies stick to those and aren’t removed well after baking.
Then you will mix up the cookie dough. To increase the butterscotch flavor, I added a package of butterscotch pudding. The pudding gives these cookies a heightened butterscotch flavor and also make the cookies a lot softer.
By adding pudding to cookies it makes them more moist and keeps them softer for longer. Another ingredient which increases the softness of these cookies is cornstarch.
Just a small amount goes a long way! Cornstarch also helps to lift the cookie and makes it puff up more in the muffin tin.
The reason I didn’t include butterscotch chips in the cookie dough is because the chips, when baked, tend to stick to the muffin tin and make it hard to pull out the cookies. If you want butterscotch chips, you can add a few, but make sure they are in the very center of the dough you place in the muffin tin.
After the cookie dough is finished, you’ll roll out small balls that will fill up 3/4ths the way of the cavities in the miniature muffin tin. Place the cookie ball in the cavities and then bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes.
You’ll want to watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn in the muffin tin. A good way to tell that they are done is if they are lightly browning along the edges.
When you remove the cookies from the oven, they most likely will deflate a bit. This is totally normal and the perfect time to fill them up with some caramel.
The caramel is just caramel candies that have been cut into fours. I like the Kraft Caramels best. Just unwrap the candies, and using a knife, cut in half and then half again.
You’ll be left with four small caramel candies to press into the centers of the hot cookies. Make sure to press the caramels into the cookies right as you pull them out of the oven so they melt into the cookie.
Now it’s time to let the cookies cool for a few minutes. If you let the cookies cool completely in the muffin tin, they will be nearly impossible to remove.
You only want to let them cool for about 1-3 minutes in the muffin tin before removing them and transferring them to a cooling rack. If needed, use a spoon to help coax the cookies out of the muffin tin.
Once on the cooling rack, they need to cool all the way before being frosted.
Once the cookies are done cooling, spread some vanilla frosting over the cookies and garnish with a few butterscotch baking chips. These will be the hit of your party!
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¾ cup butter
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¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
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5 tablespoons white sugar
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2 large eggs
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Pinch of salt
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1 and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
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1 package butterscotch pudding mix, dry
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¼ teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon cornstarch
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12-24 Caramels, unwrapped, quantity depends on preference (see instructions)
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1 container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
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½ cup butterscotch baking chips
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a miniature muffin tin with baking spray.
- Cream together the butter with both sugars. Make sure the butter is a room temperature, but not at all melted.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the salt, and then the vanilla.
- In another bowl combine the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch. Stir until combined.
- Add dry to wet and mix until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides.
- If needed, add more flour until the mixture is able to be rolled without sticking to your hands.
- Roll small balls that fill up the muffin tin about ¾th’s the way.
- Place the balls in the muffin tin.
- Remove the wrappers from the caramels and cut into either 2 or 4 sections (I did it in four sections, but if you want more caramel do 2). Press a caramel piece into the center of the cookie.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove and press one caramel piece into the center of each cookie.
- Allow to cool for about 1-3 minutes. Remove the cookies (don’t let them cool in the muffin tin) and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, generously frost with vanilla frosting and garnish with butterscotch baking chips.