Dessert: Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by Kelly Senyei Kick up a classic cookie with a quick and easy recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies stuffed with soft caramels.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
16 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S5M3HZU?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00S5M3HZU&linkCode=xm2&tag=jusatas-20 (See Kelly's Notes)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 °F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
Using a spoon, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten it slightly. Roll a soft caramel into a ball then place it in the center of the dough. Top the caramel with an additional 2 tablespoons of dough, pressing the dough on top of and around the caramel so it's completely covered by the dough. Place the cookie on the baking sheet then repeat the filling process with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes until they are slightly underbaked. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Kelly's Notes: Measure 1/4 cup cream cheese by spooning/scraping it into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off.
I prefer the Werther's Original Soft Caramels because they are easy to roll into a ball and remain soft even after the cookies have cooled.
It's important to underbake the cookies and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to ensure they retain their shape.