Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a Martha Stewart recipe I found and I made a couple of small modifications.  According to my taste testers, I should sell them!  Yeah, they are that good.  This makes 12 monster sized cookies, about 5-6 inches in diameter.   A real treat.  

As usual, I can't help myself and I have changed a few things on the original recipe.  So basically, it is MY recipe now.  Take that Martha.

I weigh these to be sure they are all the same size -- 4 ounces per cookie works out perfectly.  Which is really kind of a bummer, because I am that person who lives life on the edge and eats raw cookie dough.  And with this I can't.  One cookie half the size it should be?  Bad presentation, man.  So I resist.  But as soon as the cookies cool enough so the caramel doesn't give me a second degree lip burn, I'm having one.

So back to Martha vs. Me....I changed her light brown sugar to dark, changed her 12 oz. bag of chips to 10 oz. mini chips (better distribution!), specified the kind of caramel I found that works best, and she said to cut each caramel in half.  I like them in quarters so, again...better distribution.

I have tried adding 1/2 cup of pecan halves, then chopped, and it was a really good addition if you are feeling nutty.

The original no-nuts version with light brown sugar

3 c. flour (I prefer to weigh my flour.  This is 384 grams)

1 1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1 t. kosher salt

2 sticks (1 c.) cold butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces (The recipe called for unsalted but I used salted because, duh...salted caramel is always better.)

10 oz. semisweet mini sized chocolate chips (I like the way they distribute among more of the cookie)

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 t. vanilla extract

18 caramels, quartered (I have tried this with Kraft and Werther's versions and definitely prefer Werther's Original Soft Caramels.  Kraft caramels were way too hard after baking.)

optional add: 1/2 c. pecan pieces, chopped, if you like nuts

In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat together the flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  

Add the butter pieces and beat on medium until it is combined but there are still some pea-sized pieces of butter.   

Add the chocolate chips and mix at to combine them, then mix in the eggs, one at a time, and add the vanilla.

Must. Not. Eat. Raw. Cookie Dough...

Scoop dough into 4 ounce balls. (I did say these are huge cookies!)  Make a deep well in each and put 6 pieces of caramel in each.  Roll back into balls and place them in a dish or on a plate.  Freeze for 15 minutes.

While they are chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the oven racks on the middle and top racks.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

After chilling, transfer the cookie balls to the trays--6 on each.  These cookies will spread!

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.  Then reduce temperature to 350 degrees, swap the sheets positions and bake until the centers are almost but not completely set, about 7-10 minutes--you can press the tops gently with your fingers to check.  (Mine come out perfectly at 8 minutes.)

Remove the sheets from the oven and bang them on the counter a few times to create cracks in the top of the cookies.   Place the sheets on wire racks and let them cool completely (if you can wait that long).

Version with Chopped Pecans

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c = cup

t = teaspoon