Somebody's Dinner: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Soft Caramel Topping

I love caramel, but I hate it when it gets stuck in my teeth. I saw a recipe for chocolate chip cookies with caramel that has the store bought caramels. I wondered if there was another way.
This recipe starts with basic chocolate chip cookies. After they come out of the oven, top with easy-to-make caramel with basic ingredients--brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows.

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Since I was topping my cookies with caramel, I actually decreased the sugar in my cookie recipe and used some whole wheat flour. I was afraid a chocolate chip cookie with caramel might be too sweet. I have included the less sweet cookie version as well as the full flavor version so you can choose to have sweeter cookies, or not.

Cookie Dough--for less-sweet cookies

Yields about 40 cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cookie Dough--for rich cookies

Yields about 40 cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Caramel Topping--for either version of cookie

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup mini marshmallows or 12 large marshmallows

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425 F and make sure you are using ingredients from only 1 cookie recipe.

2) Stir together melted butter or margarine, sugar, and brown sugar with a sturdy spoon. Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in flour (or flours), baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
(Crazy easy).

3) Use a cookie scoop to space evenly on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes until centers look cooked through, but they are still soft. Leave them on the cookie sheet 2 minutes to finish baking, then transfer onto a cooling rack.

Making the Caramel Topping

4) In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and let cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted, about 30 seconds for mini marshmallows. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract.

5) Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Put a little less than 1 teaspoon of caramel in each indentation.

Some of them are overfilled. I'm so glad I have a plastic tablecloth :)

Or you may use the caramel to make cookie sandwiches.

While the thumbprint cookies were really good and delicious, storing them was a challenge. The caramel gets everywhere, so I couldn't put them in bags or stack them or use wax paper or plastic wrap on them. That's why I turned some of them into sandwiches.