Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 by Diane

After finding my favorite chocolate chip cookie, I've been trying to branch out and experiment with other chocolate chip cookie recipes. Then I discovered this salted caramel chocolate chunk cookie! It's a cookie that is definitely on trend: it uses both milk and dark chocolate, super decadent with caramel, and throws on fancy finishing salt.  Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies 

adapted from Framed Cooks

Ingredients 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar 
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup caramel sauce, plus 1/8 cup caramel (you need to heat it up a bit)
3 3/4 cup all purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use kosher salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
1 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or (finely chop up chocolate used below)
3/4 cups milk chocolate, chunk-size chopped   
3/4 cups dark chocolate, chunk-size chopped  
Maldon Sea salt 

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla and caramel sauce until well combined.
3. Put the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients 1 cup at a time, until combined. 
4. Using slow speed, add the mini chocolate chips until combined.
5. Place large golf ball size of cookie dough on a cookie sheet. Press down then sprinkle with a healthy pinch or two of the Maldon sea salt then press chocolate chunks over top.  (because of all the baking soda in these cookies, they won't sink much. If you want a thinner cookie, you'll have to press it down more.)
6. Bake for 6 minutes and drizzle desired amount of caramel over the top of each cookie. Rotate cookie sheet and put back into oven for another 6 minutes  or until just golden around edges. 
7. Remove (I added another pinch of salt at this step to a few for extra kick!) and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Verdict: These are tasty, but I'm not convinced that without all the bells and whistles (aka chocolate and caramel) this cookie holds up. With all the butter, it should be more flavorful...I think it needs some tweaking.