Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Caramelized White Chocolate Dust Brownie Cookies with Salted Chocolate German Buttercream. Whiite chocolate is caramelized and folded into a brownie cookie.
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Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies With Salted Chocolate German Buttercream. There is just soooo much to unpack with this title! This cookie! 

First, if you haven’t been introduced to caramelized white chocolate, let me formally introduce you two now. We take any old white chocolate. You want to get something good quality, but I don’t want you to stress too much or spend too much money. Because traditionally when you caramelize white chocolate you take the chocolate to the point where it gets smooth and creamy. And to do that the best you can, you’ll need a really good quality white chocolate. But we’re not taking it that far today.

Not this time.

We’re going to sprinkle the white chocolate over a baking sheet, pop it in the oven and periodically spread it around the sheet until it gets caramelized and crumbly. Or as I like to call it at this stage:  ‘white chocolate dust.’

Said caramelized white chocolate dust then gets folded into a rich, brownie-like cookie dough until it resembles a constellation — so don’t fold too much. You just want streaks of the white chocolate dust throughout. And there’s your Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookie. It’s that easy.

Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Then German buttercream comes onto the scene. Even better, Salted Chocolate German Buttercream. Helloooooo beautiful. A lot of people don’t know about it. Haven’t tried it, but Erin Clarkson (

To make the caramelized white chocolate you just put some white chocolate on a baking sheet, shove it in the oven and then stir every ten minutes until it gets clumpy. Once it’s clumpy, you’ve arrived.

These are the perfect make ahead cookies because the brownie dough needs to rest in the fridge a bit to firm up and the custard base of the buttercream likewise needs time to chill out.

Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

That Salted Chocolate German Buttercream is next level delicious. I’m not even joking. It also sounds complicated, but it’s not. It starts with a custard base that comes together quickly.

Once you give the custard base a good chill in the fridge you whisk it until smooth and creamy. Once it is 100% smooth, whisk in room temperature butter and your melted and cooled chocolate and that’s it. It’s done.

This buttercream is so stable it doesn’t have to be used immediately. Just store it air-tight until ready to use. You will seriously die when you taste how delicious it is. I’m not joking.

Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

I think we had to make 100s of these brownie cookies…and I’m not exaggerating. But my memory is also rubbish, so the exact number is unknown until Erin texts me back. ;) She just got back to me. It was 200 cookies. I’m just saying, that’s a lot of sandwich cookies.

Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Erin was nice enough to prep everything the night I landed in New York. The next morning I went to her apartment and we baked and assembled cookies for hours. And hours. We even busted out her awesome counter oven…Erin, what’s that called? It worked amazing!!! 

Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

If you only do two things with the rest of your life, make it be caramelizing white chocolate and whipping up some German buttercream. Your life will be complete. Actually, if you make Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies, then your life will be complete.

Salted Chocolate German Buttercream

More Delicious, Chocolate-y Cookies

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Cookies

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate Rye Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Marshmallow Sea Salt Cookies

Caramelized White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Caramelized White Chocolate Dust Brownie Cookies with Salted Chocolate German Buttercream. Whiite chocolate is caramelized and folded into a brownie cookie.
5 from 1 review
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Keyword: Cookies, Chocolate, Caramelized White Chocolate, Sandwich Cookies, Dessert, German Buttercream
Servings: 35 Cookies

Ingredients

For the Caramelized White Chocolate Dust

  • 10 ounces (283 g) White Chocolate, (finely chopped)

For the Brownie Cookies

  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, (room temperature)
  • 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (100 g) dark muscovado, ( packed )
  • 2 large eggs, (room temperature)
  • 1 large egg yolk, (room temperature)
  • 3 teaspoons (15 ml) real vanilla extract
  • 1⁄2 cup (118 ml) sunflower seed oil ((or other neutral oil))
  • 1 1⁄4 cups (156 g) bread flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2⁄3 cup (74 g) unsweetened dark (Dutch process) cocoa powder
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt

For the Salted Chocolate German Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (110 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (12 g) cornstarch
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup (190 g) whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (340g/3 sticks) unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
  • 6.4 ounces (180 g/1 cup + 2 tablespoons) bittersweet chocolate, (melted and cooled to room temperature)
  • ½ tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

For the Caramelized White Chocolate

  • Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C).
  • Sprinkle the white chocolate over a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and stir the chips and place back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Repeat this process 2-4 more times, until they have turned a nice bronze color and the chips have crumbled. Take out of the oven and set aside to cool.

For the Cookies

  • In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix on medium for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time taking care that each is well blended before adding in the next. Add in the vanilla and oil running the machine 1 minute more or until thoroughly blended. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that everything is well blended. Take the bowl out of the mixer.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sea salt. Add this to the butter mixture and combine in as few strokes as possible and no flour streaks remain. Take the bowl out of the mixer, sprinkle the caramelized chocolate dust over the top and barely fold into the dough…you want there to be thick swirls of it in the dough. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and cover several baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll into 1 tablespoon-size balls (19g) and set on the prepared baking sheet leaving a 1 1⁄2-inch (3.7-cm) space between dough balls. If dough gets sticky while rolling, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm back up.
  • Bake one sheet at a time for 8 minutes in the center of the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

For the German Buttercream

  • In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn starch, egg, egg yolk and salt. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla to just shy of a simmer. Remove from the heat.
  • Using one hand to whisk constantly, pour half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. This helps to temper the eggs and stop them from scrambling. Whisk until incorporated, and then pour the whole lot back into the saucepan.
  • Heat the milk and egg mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble. It will thicken quickly. Once it has thickened, cook for one minute, then remove from the heat. Pour into a shallow container or bowl of a stand mixer and press some plastic wrap over the surface to avoid a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold – at least four hours, preferably overnight. If you need to speed this process up, you can place the pastry cream in a bowl, then place the bowl in an ice bath. Stir frequently.
  • Fit your mixer with the whisk attachment, and place the pastry cream in the bowl. Whip the mixture on medium until creamy and lump-free. Begin adding the butter, a few cubes at a time, until fully incorporated. It may look curdled at some point but just keep whipping – it will come together! Once the buttercream is homogenous, add the cooled melted dark chocolate and flaky sea salt, and mix well to combine. Store in an airtight container until ready to use, or if using immediately, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

To Assemble

  • Pair similar-sized cookies, pipe a blob of buttercream on one half, and press the other cookie on top. Alternatively you can use an offset spatula, and smear the buttercream on. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Notes

*You can replace the muscovado with regular brown sugar (ideally dark)
*Use the best quality white chocolate you can get for best results
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo

Comments

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

I love your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot, I look forward to chatting with you!

Rebecca xox

Recipe Rating




10 Comments

  • Sarah February 16, 2019 at 12:45 AM

    DYING to try making these as a birthday gift for someone – but I have a few questions! You say the dough and the buttercream will do well to sit in the fridge for a bit – is it okay if they sit for 1-2 days? It’s hard to find time to bake on the weeknights! Secondly, what is best for storing the cookies once they’re baked and sandwiched together? Last, what’s a good sub for muscovado if I can’t find it at any of my local grocers? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth March 2, 2019 at 9:56 PM

      Hi Sarah! Yes, it would be totally ok for them to sit in the fridge for several days. It is so hard to bake on weeknights, I agree!!! I would store them in an airtight container, with the layers separated with parchment paper. And use brown sugar (preferable dark brown sugar) as a substitute for muscovado. But, again, if you only have light, still go for it! They will be delicious! I hope you love the recipe! xoxo

      Reply
  • Morgan February 12, 2019 at 11:23 PM

    These look AMAZING…my mouth won’t stop watering!!! And congrats on Hallmark Home and Family!!! Your segment was so good!! XO

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth March 2, 2019 at 9:52 PM

      Thank you Morgan!!! That’s so nice of you to say!!! xo

      Reply
  • MB February 11, 2019 at 6:48 PM

    Love that Book Riot Baking Book list – and was so thrilled The Cookie book was there. You’re deservedly among great company there Rebecca! Congrats :) . And good Lord, those cookies look absolutely divine.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth February 11, 2019 at 8:56 PM

      I didn’t know if it was ok to use your name in a post!!! I was so excited to see my book on there — thank you so much for that, really. And I loved seeing tons of my favorite baking books on there as well.

      Sidebar, you should try this cookies! They are so worth it!!!
      xoxo

      Reply
  • Anita February 10, 2019 at 1:18 AM

    Oh, Rebecca!! I am so excited to try this recipe!
    And I am so incredibly proud of you!! You are on FIRE!! So well deserved and hard earned. ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth February 10, 2019 at 1:23 AM

      Awww, thanks Ani!!!! I can’t wait for you to try them — they are INSANE!!!!!!!! I am in the middle of a cleanse (I don’t know why??) and I broke it to eat three while I photographed them — so good. Thank you thank you thank you for your sweet words!!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Sofia February 10, 2019 at 12:32 AM

    Wow, this looks so good, I can’t wait to try the recipe.

    Reply