Salted Caramel Chocolate Crackle Cookies

December 1...officially holiday cookie baking time.  Scarlett and I got right to it this morning and made some chocolate crackle cookies.  To mix it up, I hid half of a caramel with some sea salt sprinkled on, in the middle of the cookies.  The end result was unbelievably yummy and of course best while still warm and gooey right out of the oven.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
10 tbsp salted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 2 dozen caramels (such as Kraft), unwrapped (Rolos would also be good)
coarse sea salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, whip together butter, granulated sugar and light-brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until combine. Mix in vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine.

Scoop dough out 2 tbsp at a time and roll into a ball. Press one caramel into the center, sprinkle top of caramel with a small pinch of coarse sea salt then fold cookie dough around caramel and salt (make sure the caramel is fully covered with dough around all sides). 

Shape into a ball once more then roll in powdered sugar.  Place cookies on parchment paper or buttered cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven 11 - 13 minutes.

And while the cookies are baking, have your 2 1/2 year old get started with cleaning off the chocolate batter covered beater for you. :-)