Instructions

1. Caramel requires all of your attention – so measure all the ingredients beforehand and keep them close by, you don’t want to be scrambling to measure something while the caramel burns!
2. Make a dry caramel: In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, cook ¼ cup of the sugar over medium-high heat. As soon as the sugar starts to melt, use a heat-resistant spatula to move it constantly around the pan—you want it all to melt and caramelize evenly to a gorgeous amber color. Once the first amount of sugar has taken on color, add an additional ¼ cup sugar to the existing caramel in the pan, repeating the previous steps—cook and stir, cook and stir, until the mixture is once again a gorgeous amber color. Continue adding ¼ cup sugar twice more until all your sugar has become one pretty pan of caramel.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in the unsalted butter until melted.
4. Next, carefully and slowly stream in the heavy cream, whisking all the while. The mixture will sputter and bubble and produce a ton of steam so watch your hands.
5. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.
6. Finally, add in brownie mix, cocoa powder, and salt and whisk until smooth.
7. Transfer caramel to an airtight container and chill for at least an hour, or until thick and glossy.
8. Once cool, measure out teaspoon size globs of the caramel and place them on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Freeze them while you make the cookie dough.
9. For the cookies: Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Portion out balls of dough and flatten between your hands. Place a piece of frozen brownie caramel in the middle, and then mold the dough around the caramel.
11. Place cookie dough balls on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.