Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I didn't think it was possible, but chocolate chip cookie bars just got even more amazing!! These are very similar to the chocolate chip brownie bars I have been making for years, but a layer of salted caramel in the middle makes this new version absolutely ingenious. This recipe was recommended to me by my co-op manager Linda, who I worked closely with when I lived in New Jersey last year. She is an excellent baker and chef so we frequently talked about food and swapped recipes. I have been dying to try these bars and finally made them this weekend on my trip home. I can't take all the credit because my sister and I baked them together, so she did half the work. Thankfully we made plenty to go around so everyone was rewarded!

See that caramel? Yeah. Exactly. These cookie bars are nothing short of heaven, and so irresistible that I literally just ran upstairs and ate the last one because I couldn't stand to look at the pictures anymore. Do yourself a favor and make yourself a batch of these ASAP. They're easy and perfect for sharing! Or not.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod)
Makes: 24 bars  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients
2 1/8 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
10 ounce caramel candies
3 tbs heavy cream
Sea salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter and place in a large bowl. Add sugars, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and combine. Mix in chocolate chips.
Place the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy cream in a small microwaveable bowl and melt in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the candy and cream make a smooth caramel.
Press half of the cookie dough into a greased baking dish. Pour the caramel mixture on top of the dough and spread evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Press the remaining dough on top of the caramel and cover caramel completely. Top with sea salt.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the brownies are slightly golden.