Dark Chocolate Better-Than-Anything Smash Cookie
Dark Chocolate Better-than-Anything Smash Cookies are delectable, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. The brownie-like dark chocolate toffee cookie is topped with a layer of melted caramel, then swirled with whipped cream, drizzled with caramel sauce, and sprinkled with toffee chips. Better-than-Anything!
Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Toffee Cookie Dough:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (92g) shortening
- 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (227g) sour cream
- ¾ cup (89g) Ghirardelli Majestic Cocoa Powder
- 3 ½ cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz) toffee chips
Caramel Layer:
- ¾ cup (138g) caramel bits
- 1 ½ Tablespoons heavy cream
Whipping Cream Layer:
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon EZ Gel
- Ghirardelli Caramel Sauce for drizzling
- Toffee chips for sprinkling
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Toffee Cookie Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C) and lightly grease baking sheets.
- Measure cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In mixer, cream butter and shortening on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes or until fluffed together. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl.
- Add granulated and brown sugars. Mix on medium-high speed for about 3-5 minutes. Scrape bowl.
- Add sour cream and mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl.
- Add flour mixture and toffee chips all at once. On low speed, mix just until all the flour disappears.
- Using a 2” cookie scoop, place dough on lightly greased baking sheets (8 cookies per pan).
- Lightly spray bottom of flat-bottomed glass with cooking spray. Dip in sugar and press cookie flat (to about ½-3/4” tall). Leave a rough edge around the cookie.
- Dip in sugar again before pressing each cookie. Sprinkle tops of smashed cookies with sugar.
- Bake at 350° F (177° C) for 12 minutes. The cookie tops are barely firm, but not browned on edges. DO NOT overcook!
- Allow the cookies to cool in the pan. The cookies will continue to cook slightly.
Caramel Layer:
- In microwave safe bowl, add caramel bits and heavy cream. Heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. If necessary, heat for 15-30 seconds more. Do not overheat.
- Spread 1-2 teaspoons caramel inside the indent on top of each cookie. Place in refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to set the caramel.
Whipping Cream and Assemble Cookie:
- When cookies are ready to serve, make whipping cream by putting all ingredients into a large bowl. Use a hand mixer on low speed until all ingredients are incorporated. Then use high speed until whipping cream forms hard peaks.
- Swirl a dollop of whipped cream on each cookie (see recipe note). Then drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with toffee chips.
Notes
The whipped cream only keeps its fluff for about 30 minutes. So only add whipped cream to cookies you are ready to serve, or add whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a sprinkle of toffee chips as they are served. The cookies with just caramel tops last for several days, up to a week.