Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter browned and cooled
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel
- 11 ounces caramel bits or 11 ounces caramel squares, unwrapped
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream can sub milk
- sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Place cubed butter into a medium skillet and melt over medium heat. Stirring until browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using.
- Preheat oven to 325. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan by lining with parchment paper and then spraying with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars until combined. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined (be careful not to over mix). Fold chocolate chips into the dough.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and cream, and microwave for thirty second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
- Spread half of the cookie mixture in the prepared pan, pushing with your hands to form an even layer. You can use plastic wrap so the dough doesn't stick to your hands. Pour the melted caramel over the top and spread to cover. Sprinkle with sea salt. Top with remaining cookie dough. (I found it easiest to put golf ball sized pieces of the cookie dough in between plastic wrap or parchment paper and smush it with my hands into an even layer, then transfer it to the baking pan.) Sprinkle the top with more sea salt.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
The browned butter sets these bars over the top and adds another dimension to the flavor. I've tried these with homemade caramel and haven't found one that works well. The caramel bits are the easiest to use, but caramel squares work just fine. I found that the Brachs caramels are a little softer, so I reduced the cream to 2 tablespoons.
Recipe is slightly adapted from The Baker Upstairs