Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Cookie Cups

I suppose these little gems from Lovely Little Kitchen are more of a cookie than a cupcake but they sort of LOOK like cupcakes and that counts.  Then again, the rules around here are pretty loose on what is considered a cupcake and what isn’t.  Pretty much anything made in a muffin tin with sugar in it should be considered a cupcake.  Right?

Anyway, if you are a fan of things sweet and salty, then you simply must have these.  The end.

Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Cookie Cups

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 snack size (not miniature) peanut butter cups, unwrapped
• 12 mini pretzel knots
• Sea Salt for sprinkling

• 20 caramel candies (I used Werther’s Original soft caramels)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of an electric or stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter on low speed until completely incorporated.
5. Scoop dough into a greased standard size muffin tin, using an ice cream scoop, dividing the dough evenly between the 12 cups.
6. Bake for 15-16 minutes. The edges of each cookie cup should be golden brown.
7. Remove the muffin tin from the oven, and place one peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie cup, pressing down gently so that the peanut butter cup sits below the level of the top of the cookie. You want to leave room for caramel. The chocolate will melt from the warmth of the cookie.
8. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set once again.
9. Spoon the melted caramel over each cookie cup and then gently press a pretzel on top. Sprinkle sea salt on top of each cookie cup.
10. The caramel will set as it comes back to room temperature.

1. Unwrap candies and put them in a small microwave safe bowl. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of water. Microwave for 25 seconds and then stir. You want the consistency to be just thin enough to spoon over the peanut butter cup, so if it still sticks to the spoon without dripping off, add a tiny bit (1/2 teaspoon) more water and microwave 10 more seconds and stir.