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Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips for #CreativeCookieExchange

Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips | Magnolia Days

It’s before sunrise and birds are chirping loudly. The temperature is already warm enough to have the back door open. I’m sitting and listening to various bird songs. Summer is right around the corner. April brought its showers. May is drying everything up. A few people are predicting hot, dry months ahead. Time will tell. Meanwhile, I’ll try to keep myself from eating Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips for a pre-breakfast snack. They have been relentlessly calling out to me.

Shortbread is hard for me to resist. There’s something about the buttery, crumbly, denseness to it. I’ll take it plain, chocolate, nutty, topped with fruit, or, in this case, topped with caramel. Well, dulce de leche to be exact. Some argue it is not official caramel because caramel is made with sugar and cream. Dulce de leche is made from sweetened condensed milk. However it says caramel on the can and it tastes like caramel so that’s good enough for me.

Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips | Magnolia Days

You can make your own dulce de leche. I’ve done it both ways; boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk in water on the stove and also in the slow-cooker. Both work fine. The slow-cooker method is easier. What I found is I’d rather get a can of it. In the end it is the same thing: slowly cooked sweetened condensed milk. I’m happy to let some company do all the work.

One note on slicing the strips: The dulce de leche will stick to the knife. I used a spatula to scrape it off the sides about every third slice. Also, do not wait until they are completely cooled to slice. They need to have a little softness while warm or else they will break into pieces.

Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips | Magnolia Days

About the name of these cookies. Why didn’t I call them Dulce de Leche Shortbread Cookie Strips? It’s because caramel is more widely identified. Give someone one of these cookies and I’m certain they would call it caramel. For the strips part, it was my way of describing their shape. They are not wide enough to be bars and they are not wedges like some shortbread (see lavender poppy seed shortbread).

Do you enjoy caramel? It’s the theme for this month’s Creative Cookie Exchange. Scroll down to find a list of cookies baked for the theme. There is quite a variety. Recipes are only a click away. I’ll be checking them out for sure.

Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips | Magnolia Days
5 from 3 votes
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Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips

Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips are buttery, crumbly and topped with dulce de leche (caramel made from sweetened condensed milk).
Course Cookie
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Author Renee

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dulce de leche

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  3. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
  4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Dough will be slightly crumbly.
  5. Divide dough into 4 equal portions and press each together. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to a log 12 inches long.
  6. Place logs on 2 ungreased cookie sheets (2 logs per sheet about 3 inches apart). Use your finger to to make an indention in the top of each log about 1/2-inch wide and 1/4-inch deep.
  7. Place dulce de leche in a plastic zip top bag. Cut a corner from the bag. Squeeze dulce de leche from bag to pipe 2 tablespoons into the indention on each log.
  8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until light golden.
  9. Cool logs on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Use 2 spatulas to carefully lift logs to a cutting board.
  10. Slice logs diagonally into 3/4-inch wide strips. You may need to scrape dulce de leche off sides of the knife as you are cutting.
  11. Place cookie strips on a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips are buttery, crumbly and topped with dulce de leche (caramel made from sweetened condensed milk).

Recipe adapted from one in Pillsbury’s The Complete Book of Baking published in 1993.

The Creative Cookie Exchange theme this month is Caramel; any kind of caramel in any kind of cookie. If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura via email (thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com) and she will get you added to our Facebook group where discuss our cookies and share links.

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

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Recipe Rating




Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

Wednesday 27th of May 2015

oooooh dulce de leche is a perfect accompaniment to shortbread-these strips look delectable!

shilpi

Saturday 23rd of May 2015

Would love to enjoy these cookies with my evening tea..

Thalia @ butter and brioche

Tuesday 19th of May 2015

I've never seen shortbread like this before.. they look fantastic in strips!

Linda @ 2CookinMamas

Tuesday 19th of May 2015

I too love any kind of shortbread cookies, topped with just about anything, well, chocolate in particular, but second would have to be caramel. I have tried making the dulce de leche with sweetened condensed milk and I will have to side with you on buying a can already made and letting someone else do all the work. Can't wait to try your delicious looking cookies.

Pat

Tuesday 19th of May 2015

I'm so lucky to work with your sweet husband on days when he brings your creations for us to share! These strips were delicious, so light and buttery. The caramel was a delightful addition to an already scrumptious treat. They are as beautiful as they are tasty -- hope I can recreate your success!!!