These little treats skyrocketed to into my top favourite cookie recipes as soon as I took my first bite. Look away if you're on the I Quit Sugar program as they are quite the opposite...but I think we can all do with a little sugar hit in moderation, right? :) I love the way they are biscuity and softly cracked on the outside, and soft in the centre...not to mention that winning combination of caramel and salt...

These cookies are an adaption of Top With Cinnamon's recipe (who I must've been channeling in the photo below!) that I discovered when I was in Tasmania that time. My sister made them with a few tweaks and I've continued with her version. Added bonus...they're basically a one bowl recipe...and you will have chocolate left over to stash at the back of the pantry...which can be our little secret :)

Delle's Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup (110g) butter
1 1/2 cups (350g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (55g) cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups (260g) all-purpose/plain flour
100g (3.5oz) chopped dark chocolate (we use Nestle Old Gold)
1 block Cadbury Caramello Chocolates (milk chocolate squares with caramel filling, like Rolos)...each square is the centre of one cookie
Flaked salt (we use pink maldon salt) for sprinkling on top

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Take off the heat and stir in the brown sugar and eggs. Then add the cocoa, salt and baking powder and stir until well combined. Add the flour and stir until no floury patches are left. Lastly stir in the chocolate chips.
Take 1 heaped tbsp of dough, use your finger make a large indentation the centre of the dough; fill the indentation with a caramel-filled chocolate. Top with a flattened tablespoon of dough, and seal the edges. (We just take a cookie sized portion of dough, smush in the caramel chocolate square and kind've shape the dough around it, making it a smooth rounded dome to finish with)
Sprinkle with flaked salt to taste and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will crack slightly...but stay dense and chewy in the middle, until you hit that melted caramel/chocolate...queue moment of silent bliss!

I've missed blogging (but at the same time enjoyed the mini break) over the last two weeks! My hand is improving and learning to co-exist with a keyboard/mouse again...God bless ice packs and physiotherapy!