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#30 Dutch Caramel Cashew Cookies 1970

Freckled cookies! An inviting praline shortbread.
Have you ever made pralines? Neither had I--until this recipe. Praline is basically sugar and water (and for this recipe, cream of tartar) cooked in a saucepan until it is the color of your average Irish Setter. Then you add the well-chopped nuts, cashews in this case, and spread it on a buttered surface to set.

This whole process results in a crisp and flat nut brittle that you can break up to add to a dough. It is kind of like making your chocolate chips from scratch, but I haven't seen praline chips ready to eat in my bakery aisle. The step is necessary.

Praline with chopped cashews
spread on buttered parchment paper.
Supply Note: The recipe wants you to spread the praline goo onto buttered aluminum foil, but I prefer parchment paper. I only sliced through the paper a few times while I cut the praline into bits.

Nut Note: The recipe calls for salted roasted cashews. If you use unsalted roasted cashews, add a teaspoon of salt to the praline mixture.

Once the praline cools, two-thirds of it gets crumbled into the shortbread-type cookie dough, and a bit more goes on top.

Dough dipped in praline topping.

Here's the magic. The topping doesn't just sit on top in lumps; it melts flat into the surface of the cookie and forms a sort of freckled appearance. The praline bits maintain a little gloss that flirt with your taste buds.

Technique: Sprinkling the crumbs over the top, as instructed, spreads praline all over the cookie sheet, at least when I do it. I prefer to dip the bits of dough into the praline. More precise, less mess and waste.

Praline melted after baking.
The taste? A lovely caramel-vanilla cookie. This shortbread dough holds together, making these cookies travel-worthy. The praline bits add just the right amount of texture.

Dutch Caramel is less chew and more crunch than caramel candy. No dental filling risk, but those little crumbles can stick to the teeth just a little. Let's say they linger in the mouth, just enough to prolong the cookie flavor. I'm sold.

The recipe is here and here.


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  1. AnonymousAugust 24, 2011 at 6:31 AM

    Shortbread is my favorite, and adding the pralines sounds great. I will give these a try during my holiday baking. - Claudia

    ReplyDelete

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