Spend some time in the kitchen this weekend bringing to life these delicious chocolate, caramel and peanut cookies.

Chocolate, caramel and peanut cookies

makes 24

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter
200g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla paste
350g plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp bicarb
1 cup roasted peanuts
100g chewy caramels
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
sea salt flakes to garnish

Preheat oven to 170C. Place butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until light brown in colour. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool before adding sugars and mix on low-to-medium speed with the paddle attachment to combine.

Add eggs and vanilla, mix well, then increase the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder and bicarb into the bowl and mix until just combined. Fold through peanuts, caramel and chocolate pieces with a spatula.

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and place golf-ball-sized mounds of dough onto trays, allowing room for cookies to spread (around 6 per tray).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

*Tip: For perfectly round cookies, remove cookies from oven a couple of minutes before they’re done and coax them into rounds with a pastry cutter slightly larger in diameter. At the same time, additional peanuts, chocolate pieces and caramel may be added to the cookies’ surface for presentation’s sake. Return the cookies to the oven to finish baking.

Words: Natalie Homan

Images: Brendan Homan