Dutch Caramel Cashew Cookies

blucoat's Note:

This is an amazing and unique cookie from a 1972 Gourmet Magazine! You can also just do the first part to make cashew praline. But when you bake the praline into the cookie, it becomes gooey and oh-so-delicious. It was recently featured as part of "Gourmet’s Favorite Cookies: 1941-2008". I think these are best with roasted and salted cashews- they add a whole new flavour dimension.

• Total Time: 32 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 18 cookies

Cashew Praline

• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• ½ cup finely chopped roasted cashews (salted or unsalted) or ½ cup raw cashews (salted or unsalted)

Cookie

• ½ cup butter , softened
• 1⁄3; cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla (can increase this to 1 tsp, if you like)
• 1 cup flour

Directions:

1. Make cashew praline: In a heavy skillet cook sugar with the water and cream of tartar over moderately high heat, washing down any undissolved sugar that clings to the sides of the skillet with a brush dipped in cold water, until the mixture is a light caramel. Quickly stir in cashews. Pour the praline onto a buttered piece of foil and with a buttered spatula spread it into a thin sheet. Let it cool until it hardens and chop it coarsely.
2. In a bowl beat butter with sugar until creamy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour and 2/3 of the chopped praline and form the mixture into a dough.
3. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons onto a lightly buttered baking sheet about 2 inches apart, flatten slightly and sprinkle with remaining praline. Bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 1 minute and with a spatula remove them to a rack to cool completely.