Description
Rich chocolate cookies packed with semisweet or dark chocolate chips, stuffed with soft caramel candies, and finished with flaky sea salt for a gooey sweet-and-salty dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2/3 cup (55g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (270g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 18 soft chocolate-coated caramel candies
- Flaky or coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Beat in the milk, then mix in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.
- Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons (40g) of dough for each cookie and divide the portion in half.
- Roll both pieces into balls. Make an indentation in one ball, place a caramel candy in the center, then place the second dough ball on top and seal the edges completely around the caramel.
- Arrange the stuffed dough balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle each lightly with flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, until the edges appear set while the centers still look soft.
- If the cookies have not spread much by about 9 minutes, briefly remove the baking sheet and gently tap it on the counter 2 to 3 times, then return it to the oven.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chilling the dough for at least 3 hours is important because the freshly mixed dough is sticky and difficult to shape.
- For easier handling, chill the dough overnight.
- Use fresh, soft caramel candies so the centers soften properly during baking.
- If using larger square caramel candies, cut them into smaller pieces roughly the size of a chocolate-coated caramel candy.
- The prepared cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Stuffed unbaked cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months and baked from frozen with about 1 additional minute of baking time.
- Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Prep Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 125
- Fat: 13
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 27