I've been thinking of shortbread with an orange caramel for a while, so I decided to try it out. I love these.
Orange Caramel Thumbprints with Chocolate Drizzle
Cookies:
1 batch Thumbprint Cookie Dough
Caramel:
6 dates, soaked at least 20 minutes
1/2 cup date soak water
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean scraped
zest of 1 small orange
Chocolate Drizzle:
1/2 a batch of the chocolate recipe found here (or less than 1/2 - you'll still have leftover for dipping strawberries or bananas)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the caramel ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and well combined.
Form the cookie dough into small thumbprint shapes. They will expand a bit, so make sure there is about 1 inch between them. Spoon enough caramel to fit in the indentation. Bake for about 10 minutes. They will come out soft, but will harden as you let them cool. I recommend baking them the day before you plan on serving them. I let them cool on the cookie sheet over night to reduce the chance of cracking or breaking on a cooling rack.
Once the cookies have cooled. Drizzle the chocolate over the top.
Enjoy! I know we did. In fact, I had way too many today :P
