Salted Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bars

I finally tried a Pinterest recipe and these were To Die For!! I served them with ice cream while they were still hot and gooey....so yummy! They were also really good once completed cooled. I dropped plates off to friends and they were a big hit. Definitely a crowd favorite and pretty easy to make.

Salted Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bars

recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Yield: 16 cookie bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips
• 10 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Spray a 2-quart baking pan (11 X 7 glass pan) with nonstick cooking spray

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave on high until caramels are melted, stirring every 30 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes.

5. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Pour hot caramel over the cookie dough. Sprinkle caramel with sea salt.

6. Spread the remaining cookie dough over the caramel with a spatula until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.

7. Bake cookie bars for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut bars into squares and serve.