Caramel Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies

This past Saturday I went to visit my former coworker and good friend Kim at her house to meet her new baby girl Cora! I decided last minute that I wanted to bring something homemade over, and after doing a quick survey of my cabinets, I realized I only had enough to make chocolate chip cookies. Then I noticed I had some leftover Kraft caramel squares and I thought, why don't I stuff the cookies with caramel to give them a little twist? The result was simple, but delicious! The cookies are best just out of the oven when the caramel center is gooey but you can also stick them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before eaten to soften the caramel up. :)

Caramel Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients...

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 24 unwrapped Kraft caramels

Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and take out two ungreased baking sheets.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk ingredients together. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your standing mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add the sugars and continue to beat until well incorporated.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
6. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the dry mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl until just combined.
7. Reduce speed to stir and add the chocolate chips.
8. Take a caramel and form a little ball of dough around it, making sure that none of the caramel peeks out and that it's totally covered. Do this until you've made about 24 cookies and put them on the baking sheets.
9. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and store in a tupperware container to preserve freshness.