Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars stuffed with Salted Caramel

Chocolate and Caramel two amazing foods that tantalize all of my tastebuds!! Add them together and Viola! I am in HEAVEN!! And if you are feeling a little bit cray cray then bust out the vanilla ice cream and top one of these bars while they are nice and hot! So delicious. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 10 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream 
• Sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 9 X 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. In a medium saucepan over LOW heat combine the caramels and heavy cream and melt unitl smooth and creamy. (NOTE: I was out of heavy cream so I susbstituted sweetened condensed milk and the bars still turned out AMAZING) 
5. Split the batter in half and press half of the cookie dough into the pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Pour hot caramel over the cookie dough and sprinkle with sea salt. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over the caramel and spread dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered. 
6. Bake the bars for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut bars into squares and enjoy :) 

Reciepe slightly adadpted from Two Peas and Their Pod