Finally! My husband (notorious for his ability to not eat sweets) was salivating over these as they cooled on the counter. He was practically begging me for a taste. And when at last I gave him a cookie to try, he stood silently as he ate. When he was finished, he said these magical words. “That might just be the perfect cookie.” Are you kidding me?! Woo-hoo!
I call these PayDay® Cookies because they combine all the great flavors of that candy bar. These are slightly less sweet, and less salty than the inspiration though. A perfect blend of sweet and salty, gooey-ness and crunch. Oh they are awesome! And gorgeous. And dee-licious.
Chocolate Drizzled PayDay® Cookies
Adapted from: Cuisine At Home Holiday Baking, page 31
For the Cookies:
1/2 cup butter — softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar — packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/3 cup All-Purpose flour
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
1 1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
For the Filling:
16 Vanilla caramels
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
For the Drizzle:
3 ounces white chocolate
1 teaspoon shortening
1. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar in a bowl until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add eggs, vanilla and salt to creamed mixture; beat on low-speed until well blended. Add the flour, beat on low until ingredients are combines. Wrap
dough in plastic wrap, chill for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°; line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Heat caramels with cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until caramels melt, about 5 minutes. Turn heat off and allow caramel to stay warm on burner. Turn burner back on to low to keep caramel melted while cookies bake if necessary.
5. Using a fork, beat together egg white and water in a small bowl. Place peanuts in a separate bowl.
6. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Dip balls in egg white, allowing excess to drip off. Roll dough balls in peanuts to coat.
7. Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Using the back of a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon, or your thumb, make an indentation in each cookie.
8. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until edges are set 12 – 13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. (Indentations may need to be redone while
cookies are warm.) Spoon warm caramel filling into indentations. Allow cookies to cool completely.
9. Heat chocolate and shortening for the drizzle in a glass measuring cup in the microwave oven on low power. Remove before all the chocolate is melted and stir until last remaining bits melt. Drizzle chocolate on cookies using fork, whisk or a pastry bag. Then allow cookies to cool until chocolate is set. Serve cookies at room temperature.
Bakerlady 
Yummy.
🙂 Mandy