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Kare Kare Cookies

This recipe was adapted from The Novice Chef & Blossom to Stem.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, Filipino
Keyword 100 cookies, annatto, bagoong, caramel, chewy, delicious, Dessert, easy, Filipino, kare kare, peanut butter, recipe, shrimp paste
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Caramel Chilling Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 45 minutes
Servings 40 cookies

Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Cookies:

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg, oom temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Annatto-Sugar Coating:

  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons annatto powder

For the Bagoong Caramels:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/8 cup corn syrup
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon bagoong I like using spicy sauteed bagoong!

Instructions

For the Peanut Butter Cookies:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats.
  • Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the peanut butter, butter and both sugars for about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
  • Add in the flour mixture on low speed and stir until the dough forms.
  • Using a cookie scoop (about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough), roll balls of dough in annatto-sugar and drop onto prepared cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and leave space for spreading.
  • Bake for 8 minutes, take out of the oven and top with a bagoong caramel. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned and the caramel is slightly melted, and remove from oven.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

For the Annatto-Sugar Coating:

  • In a bowl, combine white sugar and annatto powder. Set aside.

For the Bagoong Caramels:

  • Spray a mini silicone square mold with nonstick spray. I used this mold that has 126 cavities, which hold 2 ml each worth of caramel.
  • In a large sauce pan, heat the sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the sugar is melted, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Clip a candy thermometer to the pan, and continue heating without stirring, until the mixture reaches 340ºF and is a medium amber color.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cream, butter and bagoong. Stir until the mixture is uniform.
  • Return the pan to the stove and and cook (without stirring) over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240-245ºF.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and the thermometer from the pan. Pour into the prepared silicone mold.
  • Place the silicone mold in the fridge overnight covered with parchment paper.
  • Store in the refrigerator for at least a month in the fridge.