Spruce up plain chocolate chip cookies with a salted caramel. A classic gets a great update when stuffed with caramel and topped with sea salt.

2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)

2 teaspoons cornstarch (5g)

¾ teaspoon salt (4.5g)

1 teaspoon baking powder (5g)

1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (227g)

½ cup granulated sugar (100g)

1½ cups packed brown sugar (300g)

1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (15ml)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (340g)

Individual wrapped caramels

Sea salt

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Prepare the Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream the Butter and Sugars

In the bowl of your mixer, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
Cream together on high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Incorporate the Wet Ingredients

Add the egg and egg yolks one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures

Turn your mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture in three intervals, beating after each addition until well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the Dough

Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (2 hours is even better) to chill.

Form the Cookies

Scoop cookie dough into balls the size of a tablespoon.
Take an unwrapped caramel and press it into the center of one ball of dough. Cover the caramel with another ball of dough and roll into a larger ball.
Place the dough balls on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, spacing them at least 1½ inches apart.

Bake the Cookies

Bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes. If you like your cookies soft and chewy, remove them at 11 minutes. For a crisper texture, bake for 14 minutes or longer.
Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt immediately after removing them from the oven.
Let cool and serve.

For the best results, ensure your butter is softened to room temperature before beginning.
Chilling the dough is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Adjust the baking time based on your preferred cookie texture: shorter for chewy cookies, longer for crispier ones.
Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain their freshness.