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–+ servings

Candy Bar Cuties

These bite-sized treats bring a mouthful of flavor with caramel, peanut butter, and rich chocolate on top of a buttery graham cracker base
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Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from a 13.5 ounce box of pre-ground crumbs)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 (10 oz) package caramel candy squares unwrapped
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream plus 1-2 teaspoons as needed
  • 1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted peanuts divided use
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter. Add sugar and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix with mixer until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate 30minutes.
  • Using a cookie dough scoop(approximately 1-1/4 inches in diameter), scoop rounded balls of dough and place one in each muffin cup, pressing evenly into bottom of cups. Bake at 350degrees Fahrenheit for 12 -15 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven and cool cookies in muffin pans on a wire rack. Do not remove cookies from muffin pans.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, heat caramel squares, peanut butter and 1/4 cup of the cream on HIGH 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted when stirred; stir after each minute. Add 1/4 cup chopped peanuts and stir to incorporate.
  • Top each cookie with 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the warm caramel-peanut butter mixture, spreading almost to edges with back of spoon (If caramel does not spread easily, stir in additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time until spreadable, reheating as needed). Set aside until caramel is set, about 10-15 minutes.
  • In the meantime, heat semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips in a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 30seconds; stir. Continue microwaving, stirring every 10-15 seconds, until chocolate is melted and can be stirred smooth. Spoon about 2 teaspoons chocolate over the caramel layer, spreading to edges, completely covering caramel and cookie layers. Immediately sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts.
  • Refrigerate 25-30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Carefully pop cookies out of pans one at a time, pushing up from the bottom of each muffin cup. Supplies needed include mini muffin tins and muffin cups.