Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Oh yes, I went there.  I am all about the Autumn smells and flavors….it is truly my favorite time of year.  I find myself in the kitchen creating as many fall treats as possible lately, anything with apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg….mmmmmm.  I decided that I wanted to create a cookie with the spices of the season and add in some creamy caramel to the mix.  And these are what I came up with….

 

Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice mix

Unwrapped Kraft Caramels cut in 1/2’s

For the Pumpkin Spice sugar:

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

½ cup sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice mix and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be soft and too sticky to roll. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350f. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

For the Pumpkin Spice sugar: Combine the pumpkin pie spice mix and sugar in a small bowl.

Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon, shape the dough into balls, place caramel 1/2 in between two balls, press gently until caramel is completely surrounded by the cookie dough, keeping it’s “ball shape”.  Roll the stuffed dough in the Pumpkin Spice sugar.

         

Place the cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly with your fingertips so they stay put. Bake for about 12-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden in color. These cookies are supposed to be chewy, so do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

These cookies are just made to be enjoyed warm from the oven, with a cup of tea….just a suggestion.  It is truly a challenge to eat just one!

Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days.

Do you have favorite seasonal flavors you LOVE to bake with?  What are they?  Please share links…always looking for new tasty treats to make.