Maple Caramel Petit Four Truffles

Maple Caramel

• 1 cup maple sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup 35% cream
• 1/2 cup butter, softened

Cookie Dough

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup maple sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Decoration

• 14 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup maple flakes

Maple caramel

1. Dissolve maple sugar in water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and caramelize for 5 minutes over high heat.
2. Add cream and butter, mix in well. Boil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until a caramel consistency is obtained, stirring regularly. Cool caramel in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
4. Line two muffin tins (24 moulds total) with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cookie dough

1. Combine flour, almond flour and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, cream butter with maple sugar, vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture and mix in well. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
3. Roll out dough to about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Using a serrated or non-serrated cookie cutter of approximately 8 cm (3 1/8 in) in diameter, cut dough into circles. Place a disc of dough in each muffin mould and bake for 15 to 18. Remove cookies from oven and cool in muffin tin.

Decoration

1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Mix well and let rest.
2. Drop a tablespoon of maple caramel onto each cookie. Pour chocolate over, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle with maple flakes. Let chocolate set before removing from moulds.