Peanut Butter Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back in December I decided to bake the gifts I gave my family (parents, brothers, brothers' SOs, grandmas). With my mom's help (because I suck at paying attention to and remembering people's eating habits), I started compiling a list of everyone's favorite flavors. Since baking gifts has been successful so far, I kept the list for future reference. Like Anthony's birthday. I decided to take a chance and use the flavors of his favorite candy bar Twix, even though caramel wasn't on my list of his favorite flavors. After searching through my Cookies Pinterest board, I finally decided on Peanut Butter Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sugar & Soul. In a way it's like the cookie version of a Peanut Butter Twix so I couldn't go wrong.

Peanut Butter Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (source)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter (room temp)
• ½ cup Peanut Butter
• ¼ cup Sugar
• ¾ Light Brown Sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz.) package Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Additional Egg Yolk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2½ cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
• 36 Chewy Caramels (I used Werther's Original Chewy Caramels, although the blogger I got the recipe from said she used both Werther's and Lancaster.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Cream butters and sugars together until smooth.
4. Add pudding, eggs, additional egg yolk and vanilla. Beat for about one minute on medium speed.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a ½ cup at a time and mix until combined. (adding them all at once like I normally do worked just fine)
7. Fold in chocolate chips, I usually do this with my hands. (I eventually did this but I started with the mixer, then tried using a spatula, then gave up and started using my hands)
8. Scoop out 1½ - 2 tablespoon sized scoops and stuff a caramel into the center of each, working the dough around it to seal. If using long thin caramels, cut in half before inserting into the dough.
9. Place on prepared cookie sheet about two inches apart.
10. Bake for 11-13 minutes.
11. Cool on pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

I even had enough dough to bake a few in my toaster oven

I really wish I could say I tried one but alas, it's Lent and as always, I've given up chocolate. However, I was right to take a chance on the flavors: Anthony, Kati, and Mom all loved the cookies. Anthony even said he was going to take them into work the next day.