Caramel Crunch Snickerdoodles

Have you guys ever seen that "Fresh" magazine that they have at Hannaford? You get it for free if you spend something like $25 in a visit. I don't do all my grocery shopping there, but I do my in-between stuff there. So if I get to that amount, and if they ask me if I want it, I take it. And then I look at it. But then I don't usually make anything out of it. It's not really my kind of eating. Plus the whole magazine exists to make you buy their Hannaford Inspirations line of things. But I did see this cookie recipe in there. I have never made snickerdoodles before. So I thought I would try them. It is from the Sept/Oct 2010 issue.

Caramel Crunch Snickerdoodles
3 cups sugar, divided
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I never buy unsalted butter, so I just use the butter I have, and omit the 1/4 tsp salt)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Prepare the caramel crunch. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 cup of the sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to help it melt evenly. When the sugar is melted, lower heat to medium-low and cook to a golden color, about 3 to 6 minutes (I was very skeptical about this working, but come to find out, it actually will melt). Immediately pour the caramelized sugar carefully onto the prepared baking sheet. Tilt the sheet so that sugar spreads to a thickness of no more than 1/8 inch. Allow to cool until hard and cool to the touch, about 30 minutes.

Break the caramel into several pieces, then place on a cutting board and use a knife to chop into 1/4-to 1/2-inch pieces (this was messier and took longer than I thought it would).

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir 1/2 cup of the sugar together with the cinnamon. Set aside.

Make the cookies. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in eggs and vanilla until blended. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped caramel pieces. The dough will be stiff.

Scoop out a well-rounded tablespoon of dough and roll between your palms into a smooth ball. Roll ball in cinnamon-sugar mix. Repeat with remaining dough and place balls 3 inches apart on baking sheets (you will not use all the cinnamon-sugar, but a large quantity is easier to work with).

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, just until the edges are golden but the centers are pale and feel soft if lightly touched, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 3 dozen

So. These were sooooo good. The caramel got all melty. Very very good. Highly recommend. You should totally make them.