Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

Good morning, friends! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mondays come around again so quickly, don't they?


Well, here is a recipe for some ooey gooey, completely decadent cookies to help get you through the week. Chocolate has a way of making any day that much better. Now add some caramel to that equation...


These cookies are so soft and chewy. Don't let the extra steps involved keep you from making them; the effort is well worth the finished result!


Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. white sugar
48 chocolate covered caramels (Rolos, Riesens, etc.)


Beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the 1 cup white sugar and brown sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in separate bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating well.


Cover and chill for a minimum of 2 hours.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Put 1 Tbls. of sugar (or more as you need it) into a small bowl. Divide dough into four equal portions. Work with one part at a time, chilling the remainder until use. Now divide that portion into another 12 portions. Quickly press each piece of dough around chocolate covered caramel. Roll into a ball and dip the tops into the sugar. 


Place sugar side up, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake for around 8 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes out of oven before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


If desired, drizzle with caramel or sprinkle with tops with extra sugar.


Store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

I realize the colors are a bit off in these two photos and am working on better indoor lighting for my photos.