Deep Dish Cookies {Caramel-Filled...AKA Heaven}

if that title doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will.

Once upon a time, I checked off the tedious task of organizing my Pinterest boards from my to-do list. By doing so, I pretty much dug my own grave, so to speak. 

It's like all of the cookies, cakes, and cupcakes on my "Nom Nom Nom-Dessert" board were screaming at me for never baking them...

 

 via

BUT DON'T I LOOK SO DELICIOUS? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO MAKE ME!

It's true... I prefer to cook. Baking is so much more difficult. Exact measurements? Flour all over the counter tops? Reading directions? Eh, not a huge fan.

But scraping every last ounce of batter from the mixing bowl? THAT I can handle.

Last night, after laying on the couch for hours with a yucky cold, I decided to get a little crazy and bake these cookies that had been calling my name through my computer screen for months. If I was going to bake (and when I'm sick at that), they needed to be worth the calories (sometimes you just gotta break that diet!) and these looked pretty legit.

Take my word for it: they are! Make them for your family. Make them for when that dreaded time of the month comes around (too much?). Make them for a party. JUST MAKE THEM.

I did change up the filling a bit by using the Dark & Sea Salt Caramel squares, instead of the regular Caramel squares the original recipe calls for. I'm a sucker for sea salt so it was a no-brainer, but use whatever kind you prefer!

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Caramel-Filled Cookies:

 

Ingredients-

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 12 Ghirardelli Dark & Sea Salt Caramel (or just normal Caramel) squares, unwrapped

Instructions-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin top pan or deep dish cookie pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, cornstarch and salt, and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy, about a minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla to combine.
3. Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Once dough has come together, stir the chocolate chips in by hand with a wooden spoon.
4. Drop a Tablespoonful of dough into the bottom of each cavity. Gently press it to cover the bottom of each cavity. Top with an unwrapped square. Top the candy with an additional Tablespoonful of dough and gently press the top dough ball to cover and enclose the candy.
5. Bake the cookies for approx. 12-15 minutes or until the centers are set and the edges are golden and lightly crisped. Allow the cookies to cool in the pan about 5 minutes before gently removing to wire racks to cool completely. You can loosen them from the pan very carefully with a butter knife.
6. **Note: You can also make this recipe without a deep dish cookie pan–just drop heaping Tablespoonfuls of dough 2-3″ apart on a greased or silicone-lined cookie sheet.**

A few things:

-I did halfies when making these. I used half the batter to make them deep dish, and the other half to make regular cookies. Only because I wanted some regular ones to enjoy as well. I'm picky.

-I take no responsibility for your pants fitting a little bit tighter after making these. My suggestion would to get your fix and then kindly pass them onto your friends and family to enjoy. That's my plan, anyways.

Good friend or terrible friend? I plead the Fifth...

On that note....happy almost weekend! ;)