Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies

I whipped these up for a work party.  I saw them on Pinterest and just had to make them!  Even with making your own caramel, they are very easy to do.  They also look impressive, especially if you pipe the filling onto the cookie!


Brownie Cookies with Salted Caramel Creme Filling
Ingredients:

Brownie Cookie (adapted from Donna Hay), via Bakers Royale

12 oz. chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
⅔ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Homemade Caramel

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
2 tablespoons sour cream


Salted Caramel Creme Filling
1 cup butter
2 cups confectioner sugar
1/4 teaspoon salted
1/4 cup caramel (Make sure caramel is cooled if making homemade)

Instructions:
To make brownie cookies:

Place 7oz. of the chocolate and the butter in a saucepan over low heat and gently stir until melted and smooth. Set aside.
Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add in flour, baking powder, melted chocolate mixture, remaining 5 oz. of chocolate and mix to combine. Set aside to to stand for 10 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoonful of the mixture, onto parchment lined bake sheet. Bake for about 8–10 minutes or until puffed and cracked. Allow to cool completely on trays.

To Make Caramel:

Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the caramel mixture has reached 320 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.


To make caramel creme filling:
Place butter in a bowl and beat until creamed. Add in confectioner sugar and salt and beat until light combined. Add in caramel and beat until combined.

Assembly:
Place filling into a bag fitted with a 1M tip.  Pipe in a swirl on underside of one brownie cookie and place a second brownie cookie bottom side down on top frosting.