Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

I decided to make these last night for a family reunion coming up-I read ALL 130 reviews before starting and was prepared to do battle with sticky dough and a time consuming process. Well, I had ZERO problems making these cookies. I did a couple things different from the recipe. #1 Add 1/2 tsp salt. Those who stated the cookies are somewhat bland without the caramel, it is because there is no salt in the dough. #2. Add 1/4 -1/2 cup more cocoa-they are delicious with this, and it makes the dough less sticky. #3 PARCHMENT PAPER! Use it on the cookie sheets-even the cookies which "exploded" were fully contained on the paper. I cooked the cookies for 10 minutes-mine hardly spread at all. Then cooled for 5-10 minutes on the tray and slipped them right off onto cooling racks. Not one single cookie leaked through the cooling rack. Also, my dough sat out at room temp the whole time-I put it in the freezer for 15 minutes while I unwrapped the candies (which by the way, I used Riesens-much better than Rolos) - I baked them on and off for 4 hours and I did not need to chill the dough. I made a DOUBLE batch of these-I think they awesome and very easy!

This is an EXCELLENT cookie! They turned out wonderful!!! I read all of the advise of the other reviewers. I added an extra 1/4 c. flour and 1/3 c. cocoa and added 1/2 t. salt, and left out the nuts in the dough. I used parchment paper, and let the cookies cool on the sheet. I chilled the dough for about a half hour before starting. I had no problems with the dough being sticky, I found it easier to work with as it warmed up a little. I formed the dough into little bowl shapes in my hand and put the candy in the middle, working the dough around it, getting rid of any excess. I used as little dough as possible and got close to 80 cookies out of this recipe! No problem with leaking, just work the dough around the candy really well. I used rolos and 1/2 peanut butter cup, and they are both wonderful. I baked for 7 minutes, and they are still soft. This is a time consuming cookie, but well worth it! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Part drop cookie, part chewy brownie, 100% fabulous!! Could not find Rolos at my grocery store, so used the caramel-filled Hershey's kisses with great results. For those who find the dough too sticky and difficult to work with, keep a small dish of water close by your work area, and dip the tips of your fingers in the water, shaking off excess, before molding the dough around the candy piece. The dough won't cling to your fingers then, and it makes refrigerating unnecessary. Be sure not to overbake, and make sure you calibrate your oven, because unless the temperature is accurate, you won't get the endorphin-inducing chewy chocolate fix you crave. I skipped the nut/sugar dip because I wanted to finish them another way. Although it was unnecessary for texture or flavor, I frosted them for looks, making these "Triple Threat Fudge Cookies" as I billed them. Nice frosting that sets up unsticky in about 2 hours: Mix together 3 Tb soft butter, 3 Tb unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's), a pinch of soda, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 Tb light corn syrup, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Added in, tsp by tsp, enough milk to make it spreadable. Frost cookies while still a little warm (about 8-10 minutes after removing from oven.) I got rave reviews all around, with one fan giving them a "10 on the swoon meter." Thank you for the phenomenal recipe.

Update 12/2005-I made these again this year and the first batch used 1/2 butter & 1/2 butter flavored Crisco. Forgot to do so for 2nd batch - the 1/2 and 1/2 works MUCH better & holds shape! Also used the Hershey Caramel Kisses this year & they were great too! ************ Killer cookies! Although I meant to add the extra flour/cocoa - I forgot....I did use 1/2C butter crisco & 1/2C butter. Also used the Milky Way caramels because I couldn't fathom opening all those Rolo candies--Milky Way carmels are fast to open. I split the dough into 4ths, put 3 in fridge and immediately used 4th - no problem with stickiness (maybe it was the Crisco?). I found it best to cover the carmel starting at the bottom of candy and press up towards top. Not a single one leaked. These cookies will go on the "make for cookie tray gifts" list!

These cookies were a hit with everyone who tried them. I used Caramellow bars for my chocolate caramel in the center. It was perfect. I bought 3 large bars, each bar gives you 18 squares. They were the perfect size for wrapping the dough around. The caramel is very gooey and the cookies were scrumptious and very rich. YUMMY!

These were a hit at my family reunion. They taste a bit like a turtle brownie. I tried both Rolo's and Hershey's Caramel's with a chocolate center...sorry I can't recall the exact name. I preferred the Hershey's. Rolo's didn't hold up as well as the Hershey's did. I also drizzled the cookies with melted milk chocolate after they cooled a bit. YUM!

excellent cookie! I used rolos and put the candies in the freezer for a couple of hours. The caramel didn't ooze out while baking.

My sister and I really liked these cookies. My husband thought they were just average. Unlike other users, I did not think they were that difficult to make. It is alot easier if you coat your hands in cocoa before working with the dough. I tried Rolos, Snickers, and Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and thought the peanut butter cups tasted the best... but they were all good. I will definitely make these cookies again.

These were soooo good! I used rolos and omitted the nuts but I followed the rest of the recipe exactly and everyone loved them. I will definitely make them again.

Great cookie, but not original. This recipe has been around since forever, and is a standard in my Christmas cookie baking. People are always pleasantly surprised to bite into that caramel filling!

These were unbelievable straight from the oven, (weren't as good after they cooled)! I reheated them in the microwave for 10 sec to warm them back up to goodness before eating. They taste a bit like a turtle brownie, and can't imagine making these without nuts on top as it was an excellent texture contrast. I added 1/4 c more flour, 1/4 c more cocoa powder, and 1/2 tsp salt (most cookies have some in them). I used plain caramels. I didn't use any of the nuts in the actual batter, for fear of getting the dough smooth around the candy. I used greased baking sheets, but parchment paper would be better. I didn't have much problem with the bottoms coming out, but you can easily remove the paper for cooling. Damp hands helped with the rolling part. I preferred using room temp dough, the cold dough had to thaw in order to spread anyway. I made a ball, stuck the caramel in, and worked it up around the candy. If you like a fluffier cookie, put these in the fridge for 15 min or so before baking. I let these cool 5 min, then transferred to cooling racks, and some of them bottomed out. I would leave on the baking sheet or parchment until completely cool. Mine needed almost 10 minutes to get firm enough bottoms so that they would hold up. Hope this helps!

This recipe is Definately a keeper on my Christmas cookie list! I used Milk Duds and black walnuts & they were amazing! Milk Duds don't create a layer of carmel like shown the picture, but still soft, chewy & delicious! Next time will try review suggestions of Carmel Kisses & 1/2 peanut butter cups. Thx for a great recipe!

One of our favorite cookies at my house. We use the Dove Carmel-filled Chocolates. This year, I sprinkled some high-quality Sea Salt on each cookie after rolling in sugar (just a sprinkle!) and it is truly divine!

Followed others suggestion in adding flour, cocoa powder and salt and they were very good. I had only 4 that broke and I think it was the store brand chocolate caramel cups I bought. Rolos were nice but the best were the peanut butter cups.

Very good cookies when fresh out of the oven, but not as great the next day.

Followed the reciped to a tee and they were soooo chewy and yummy!

We love these! I did follow other recommendations and did the following: added 1/2 tsp salt, added 1/4 cup more cocoa, used PARCHMENT PAPER and cooked the cookies for 10 minutes and cooled them for 5-10 minutes on the tray and slipped them right off onto cooling racks, I just cooled them in the freezer for 15 minutes and used Riesens.

So good!

Simply amazing. I've made these many times and I have yet to taste a better cookie!!

I tried several caramels for my batch. If you use Nestle Treasures, they will cut down quite a bit the number of cookies you will make because they need so much dough to wrap around the candy. There are christmas candies out called "Milky Way" caramels. (I found mine in the candy isle at Walmart) they use a bit of dough as well, but I found them the most tasty. Also, there is a bag of rolo's in the regular candy isle at Walmart, that has at least 75 in it. ,,,,, I personally like the Rolos. The cookie is so rich that it really is just the right size with a Rolo. Also, if you overcook the cookie, the caramel will melt outside a little.. It tastes just as good. They are a chewy-fudgy brownie like cookie. Great for Santa to have with a cold glass of milk!

Very good and pretty easy to make. If you cannot find chocolate covered caramels, you can substitute Kraft Caramels. I tried them whole, halved and in thirds and halves worked best.

A whole lot of work, but people will beg for more. I used Dove chocolates which are more cookie-shaped than Rolos so I think that helped it not ooze when baked.

I have been making these for years. They are best when they're slightly warm with a big glass of cold milk! :)

Used Rolos. Good, but not great. Probably will not make again.

This is a fabulous cookie recipe! The cookies were moist and chewy. I used a no-name brand of chocolate covered caramels from Wal-Mart and they turned out great. The caramel was nice and soft inside. I am going to use this recipe for this year's cookie exchange. The only thing I did was omit the nuts.

I used Rolo candy and rolled these in red sparkling sugar instead of nuts for a Christmas cookie exchange and they were a huge hit! They were not hard to make at all. Yum!

I made them just like the recipe called for but I didn't think the carmels would be very good so I took minature peanut butter cups sliced in half and put between two thin slices of the cookie dough .I did not dip in sugar either .this is a awesome cookie and will make this again,

After trying several different kinds of candy with these I would recommend mini peanut butter cups, I used Walmart brand, and the small York peppermint patties. I tried Nestle's treasures and used all but the caramel variety after I found that they leaked out onto the cookie sheet. I left out the nuts, didn't chill the dough the first time I made them but did the next time and didn't see much diffence. I put a hunk of dough in my hand and another on the candy to make a kind of sandwich, then I just rolled the whole thing between my palms to make it round. It covered the candy almost every time. I did use 1/2 tsp of salt with unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp with the salted kind. Another time I might dip the top of the unbaked cookie in chopped nuts or drizzle some frosting on top to dress them up. Be sure not to overbake them. It will depend on your oven but I'd start with seven minutes and see if that is enough, a good reason to sample as you go.

I followed the advice of the other reviews and added an extra 1/2 c. flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 c. cocoa. For the middle, I tried rolos and also Hershey's chocolate creme filled caramel classics. They pretty much tasted the same to me and my husband, so I opted for the caramel classics, since they were cheaper :) I used an 18/10 gauge cookie dough scoop, which made a lot more than 48 cookies, and made assembly really easy too. If you make the cookies this way, don't refrigerate the dough since it gets too hard, but just take a scoop of dough, press the caramel into the center and seal it in. I didn't add any of the nuts into the dough, I only dipped the top and it seemed like there were plenty of nuts. I did have a bit of a problem with them falling off though, maybe I didn't press them into the top far enough. I also lined my sheets with parchment paper and baked for 10 minutes. Wow, great cookies though!

My 8 year old and I made these and everyone LOVED them! We'd never made from scratch cookies before and was really surprised at how well they turned out. Will be keeping this recipe!!!

I thought this was a good recipe. I melted the caramels with 3Tbs of canned milk over low heat and let it cool while I mixed up the cookie batter. I also added a 3oz pack of chocolate pudding to the recipe. I then just scooped out about a tsp of the caramel and rolled it into a ball and rapped the cookie dough around it. This keeps the caramel a good gooey consistency after they are cooled. I make fairly large cookies, so I use about 2 heaping Tbs of dough per cookie and use a spoon to put a small indentation in the dough and place the caramel in the center and push the dough up around it. The caramel doesn't come out of the cookie then.

Just finished baking these and they turned out great!!! I cut down the amount of brown sugar to 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup. Really don't need all that sugar especially with the sweet caramel in the centre. I also cut down the cocoa from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and they were still chocolate enough. Scoop some dough on a spoon, put the caramel on the dough and blop some more dough on top of the caramel and form into as much of a ball as you can then place them on the cookie sheet, that way is easier and not as messy. I will definately make these again.

Oh man, these were super! I used Riesen chocolate covered caramels and did not do the nut thing, but sprinkled with powdered sugar instead. Thanks Lisa!

These are great cookies! I didn't let the sticky dough stop me, actually I made these Friday night when I had a house full of kids and it was hard to ward them all away so that I could get one! I split the dough into 12, then into 24, smushed 1 piece down in my hand stuck a Rolo in the middle, topped it with another piece, rolled it and plopped it onto the sheet. The kids all LOVED these, thanks Lisa.

Made this for a group of friends... everyone LOVED them and asked for the recipe! I used Caramilk chocolate bar pieces and they worked wonderfully!

This is an excellent recipe! I have made one similar and this is much better (the other one used prepared cookie dough). As for the caramel center, I highly recommend the Junior Caramels (put out by the same company that does Junior Mints). They are small, round and soft caramels and I have yet to have any leak. (an added plus is the low cost).

Very Tasty cookies. Tried using harder caramels and they didn't work, must use Rolos!

Incredible! These cookies are awesome. If you don't sift the flour when you measure/add it, you won't have the stickiness problem. I didn't even chill it the full 2 hours and had no mess at all. We used Milk Duds and they worked perfectly. Also omitted the nuts b/c of food allergies in the family. They turned out great and we can't wait to try them with peanut butter cups! Thanks again!

I figured out that it was much easier to put dough balls into a mini muffin tin. I baked for 7-8 min then pressed caramel filled Hershey's kisses into the top. I didn't even need to put them back into the oven- the heat from the cookie made kiss nice and gooey.

This recipe rocks! I doubled the recipe and kept it outside on the deck (25 degrees!) to keep it cold. Would suggest more than 2 hours. I found that the dough gets very sticky very quickly while making the balls; I solved this problem by sraying Pam on my hands. I also won for the best tasting cookie!

These cookies were very yummy. However they were difficult to work with as the dough is very sticky. So don't reinvent the wheel in this process, this is what I found to work. Helpful Hints: First, I used a caramel nut cluster candy from Walgreens and had to half it, so I did not use walnuts in my batch. But I think a Rolo would work better. I did refrigerate the dough overnight. As stated it was sticky, which made rolling the "ball" out difficult. So I wised up after a few and coated my palms and fingers with margarine, which made it so much easier to roll the dough! I didn't divide the dough up equally, I just scooped a golf ball size dough, split that in 1/2 then sandwiched the candy, then rolled into the ball. When baking, spacing is key! Don't place too close together, or it's a bear getting the cookies apart. Also, don't use a cookie sheet that will warp when in the oven or all your cookies will slide together and you'll end up with a mess. I found 8 minutes was not long enough to cook but I found 10 to be perfect! Let cool on cookie sheet until the cookie sheet can be comfortably touched with a bare hand, but not totally cool, then transfer to wax paper, as any sooner the cookie just squished because it wasn't cool enough, and if I left it on too long the caramel that baked through was too hard and stuck to the pan, even with it greased. So, that was my experience. Now I know the tricks, I will make again! Good luck & happy baking!

Excellent! I also added half a tsp. of salt into the cookie dough.

amazing! so chewy and chocolately! don't change a thing... except maybe bake on parchment paper so they slide off and add a bit more cocoa powder so the dough is easier to work with.

The only chocolate-covered caramel candies the store carried were Dove Promises, and they were expensive. I found it very difficult to get 12 cookies out of each quadrant of dough. There wasn't enough dough to really wrap around and cover the candy, and as a result, the caramel leaked out of the cookie. In reading the reviews, it looks like many people used Rolos, so maybe the Dove Promises are larger??? On the last batch, I made 8 cookies (instead of 12), and this worked out much better. Taste is pretty good, but honestly, they didn't wow me as I expected. I'd probably give these 3-1/2 stars if I could. Sorry, I know this recipe has had great reviews, but I doubt I'll make it again.

Awesome recipe.! I doubled the recipe and let the cookies cook a little longer than the alotted time, but the cookies were awesome. They're like mini-Brownies with a kick of carmel.

I couldn't keep these on my cookie platter!!! Thank you for the recipe!!

Absolutely addicting! I drizzled some melted white chocolate over the tops for an extra treat. They disappear quick! Thanks for the recipe!

Cookie tasted ok but the dough was dry and crumbly but still spread to much in the pan, made a mess so just put the candy on top of the cookie half way threw the baking process.

These were awesome! I didn't have much problem with the dough, eventhough it is quite sticky. I used my small pampered chef cookie scoop with each cookie being 1 1/3 scoops. I made the dough into the balls and then pushed a rolo into the center. Next, I formed the dough up around the rolo till it was completely covered. I didn't use nuts or sugar and they were still wonderful. I also used parchment paper, just in case any leaked. Not one cookie leaked, but I still recommend the parchment paper.

Deeeelish! I was looking for a cookie I could easily make and take to a dinner date. After seeing the rating this cookie had I knew I just had to make 'em. Thanks to all the reviews I added an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of cocoa. I refrigerated my dough for only 30 min beforehand. I used caramel filled Dove chocolates that I kept in the freezer prior to rolling the cookies. When rolling I used a little water on my hands, as suggested, to keep the dough from sticking. Also, I used parchment paper when baking... and I baked the cookies for 9 minutes. The cookies came out awesome! I brought some to work to test out on people before my dinner date. Looks like I'll be entering these in my office annual bake off.

I made these cookies for a holiday cookie swap and they were a huge hit. I will definately make them again.

I used caramel filled Kisses, and froze them unwrapped until I was ready for them. I also only chilled the dough for an hour. It seemed perfect then. I did have some cookies leak while in the oven, but more than half seem to be fine. I also put all the nuts in the dough, none on top. They are very delicious, even if the caramel leaks out. I will definitely make these again, but I might try a different caramel next time. 1 year later: This year, I decided to experiment a little with my candy choice. I was really looking for a soft, gooey caramel, that's why I went with the caramel kisses last year, but there just wasn't enough caramel. This year, I followed others suggestions and tried both regular caramels as well as rolos. While the cookies were warm, a whole caramel in the middle was fantastic, but then gets chewy when the cookie is room-temperature. Rolos were much less chewy at room-temperature, but still not quite what I was looking for. I decided to try something completely different and put in mint truffle kisses. Absolutely delicious!!!! Before you even bite into the candy middle, you can taste the mint flavor that has slightly seeped into the rest of the cookie. Then when you do get to the mint center, the mint flavor explodes in your mouth in perfect harmony with the chocolate of the cookie. The green color in the middle makes the cookie look as good as it tastes. I might just stick to the mint kisses from now on. I also skipped the nuts this year.

These cookies are absolutely excellent! I added an extra 1/2 cup of flour and and extra 1/3 cup of cocoa. Instead of refridgerating for 2 hours, I put the dough in the freezer for about 20 mins; To avoid the stickiness problem, I sprayed my hands with Pam and worked quickly with the dough. I used generic carmel filled balls, and they worked great. I ended up with a perfect round cookie.

Great recipe - the trick to these is to keep the dough cold and work with only small amounts of dough at a time and then they will turn out perfect!

Delicious cookies!!! My sister and cousin made them one night, and they said it took forver but it was worth the wait. They used regular caramels without the chocolate covering for the cookies and skipped the rolling in sugar part. They turned out to be very soft. They ended up having a ton of cookies but that wasn't a problem!

I read all the top reviews for tips and found them immensely helpful. I don't like nuts so I added the extra 3/4c flour and 1/3 cup cocoa (however forgot the 1/2 tsp salt oops!) to the batter. I didn't put nuts in the topping either and just dipped them into sugar. I didn't cool the batter in the fridge nearly as long as suggested but did for maybe 20-30 mins and I felt it worked out fine. I used Presidents Choice chocolate covered caramels as well as their peanut butter cups for the centre and they worked out PERFECT. Gooey and delicious. I used parchment paper on my cookie sheet and didn't have a single problem, so I would recommend that as well. Cooked the exact time and let cool the exact time and they never dripped out at all. Will definately be making again.

My first tray of cookies was very leaky, though I'd followed the directions exactly. The second tray was more so, since I missed the timer going off while breaking up a sibling fight in the playroom . . . it really IS important to take them out after 8 minutes! The next ones went much better, though. I divided the remaining fourths of dough into 10 pieces (instead of 12), stuck the caramel kisses in the freezer for a bit, and pressed the candy into the balls of dough BOTTOM first, instead of pointy-end first like I'd done with the first two tries. I think that helped cover the candy better. And I was rigid about the 8 minutes, and left them alone on the tray for 6+ minutes to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack--only one leaked then, and not too badly. These were a bit labor-intensive, but folks who like to make cookies usually enjoy the process, and it certainly wasn't tedious. My children are thrilled with the end result, and I'm fairly certain we'll try them again sometime.

Jeepy creepies these cookies are good!! Speaking as someone a bit cookie-challenged, it did take a bit for me to get the technique down - using enough dough so the caramel didn't seep out during baking, sticky dough (refridgerating really well is definately the key), but even the "mistakes" are yummy. Next time I make these - and trust me, there WILL be a next time, I will take the advice of a previous reviewer and smush the caramels (I used Rolos) slightly so the fill the cookie a little better - instead of being one yummy surprise right in the middle. Gotta go - all this talk about the cookies is making me want ANOTHER one!!!

this is on FABULOUS cookie! I tried using rolos, riesens, dove, and milky way "simply caramel". The milky ways were far and away the best to use. Good amount of caramel, and didn't get too hard after cooling. After I got the timing right for removing the cookies from the oven, they were perfect. Not under cooked,not hard, and didn't ooze.

These were out of this world! I was skeptical because of some of the negative reviews, but I'm so glad I tried this recipe. After looking at similar recipes on other sites, I decided to up the flour to 2 1/2 c. and added 1/2 t. of salt. I left out the nuts because my kids won't eat nuts, but left everything else the same. The dough was incredibly easy to work with -- I didn't even need to chill it, perhaps because I keep a cool house in winter. Regardless, the cookies turned out beautifully with no leaks whatsoever, and I'm eager to try this recipe with different candies.

I made these at a candle party that I hosted- everyone loved them and I ended up having to make copies of the recipe for several of the ladies. Thanks for this great recipe. PS. I just used regular caramels (not chocolate covered) and they were still wonderful! Shelly

These are insanely good!! I mean sinfully so, really. I did add an extra 1/2 cup flour and 1/3 cup cocoa but no salt. I also used chocolate caramel Reisens and they worked very well. With the first batch I did have some trouble with them running and making a sticky mess. I only let them sit for the 3-4 minutes suggested. After that I let them sit for 10 minutes and them picked them up by hand instead of using a spatula. I found the spatula tears the delicate bottoms even when they have cooled quite a bit. I also used Silpat liners which helped tremendously but if you don't have those parchment paper would be a real assest. They still leaked but by letting them cool longer and transferring them by hand this was not a problem. Then, by the time they cooled completely on the wire rack the caramel that had leaked was hard enough to not be a bother. Leakage or not these are totally worth making! I did not find them time consuming at all and, after chilling the dough for about 4 hours it did not stick to my hands. Make these soon and enjoy!!

I made these cookies for my son's Christmas party and they were a big hit with the kids and adults as well. The key to this recipe is - the dough has to be cold ... otherwise you will have a sticky mess. Allow time for wrapping candies. Great recipe. (Keeper)

I found this recipe in a book a few years ago and everyone loves them. i found that if you cool the cookies upside down for a few minutes then turn them over that the caramel does not run out..hope that helps because they are delicious cookies!

I really expected these cookies to be something special, but they weren't. The actual cookie part isn't as good as some of the store bought dough. The dough isn't "easy" to work with unless it's very very cold. I really love desserts, and I especially love anything chocolate. I'm easy to please, and I cook desserts quite frequently. I will not be making this again.

This recipe was very time consuming. I put my candy in the freezer before-hand and the carmel still leaked through the cookie. Another problem that I had was that the cookies tended to roll onto another. They tasted just ok, not something out of this world. Sorry, but I won't be using this recipe again.

the dough got a little crispy on the edges so I added a 3.4 ounce of chocolate pudding mix to the recipe turned out great!

YUMM! I used Werthers carmel rectangles, and also tried these little tiny BB sized caramels made for melting that I found. They were also Werthers brand. I added an extra 1/3 cup of cocoa, as well as 3 one ounce chocolate baking squares that I melted with a bit of butter, and also added chocolate chips to the mix. I love chocolate! They turned out great with both types of carmel. Very chocolately and rich. Next I will try the milky way caramel bars and some other fun candies!

This is by far my favorite cookie recipe. Friends and family go wild for them. I recommend using Rolos as the center candy. A friend wondered what it would taste like as a sugar cookie, so I tried it out. I cut the sugar to 3/4 c each, and it was excellent. Also, with either a chocolate or sugar cookie, I recommend cutting the temp to 350. Pull it out as soon as it looks slightly done, as it will continue to cook on the sheet. (usually about 8-10 in a gas oven)

I was invited to a Cookie Swap the other day and I had no idea what to make. So I checked out the recipes here and found this one. I LOVE this recipe. It tastes like a brownie with a caramel center. It was a huge hit and by far the best cookie at the swap!

I baked these for a friend's annual Cookie Swap and they were the biggest hit!! I followed the recipe exactly, and used Dove caramel filled candies. A bit time consuming, but absolutely worth it!! I will definitely bake these again!! YUMM!!

I found these cookies quite simple to make! And very delicious! I used Rolos, which were kind of a pain to unwrap, but worth it. I put the dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes while I unwrapped the candies. When it got warm, I just used cocoa powder on my fingers to make it less sticky. Quite yummy! Will most definitely make again!

Wonderful cookies. You can play around with what kind of caramel or other candies to put in them, it all comes out super delicious. This is the best cookie dough recipe I have ever had.

I really liked the concept of these cookies, but they are too sweet for us. Next time I'll cut the sugars to 3/4c each and add 1/2t of salt. I substituted shortening for the butter and I'll do that again next time I try. I didn't need to refridgerate to be able to roll these, probably due to the shortening. I will certainly try these again, only with the sugar modifications.

Followed the recipe exact except dipping the tops in sugar and it came out perfect. Was amusing to see peoples quizzical expressions when they got to the caramel part too.I doubled this and glad I did, the husband kept eating them before Christmas dinner! I also had to send some home with everyone, beggars! :) Dough was easy to work with once it warmed up in my hands a little bit and parchment paper is my new best friend, highly recommend trying it. Will make these again with Snickers! Thanks!

Fantastic!!

I made using PB Cups, Lindt white choc pieces and Milky Ways - all came out tasting great. Only problem is that they do not look all that appetizing, brown globs, ugh. For the second batch I added slivered almonds to the top and dusted with confectioner's sugar. Next time I will swirl some frosting on the tops.

We did not like these at all. Very hard to make and the chocolate flavor was not appealing. Would not make again

I only used 2 ¼ cups of flour that this recipe calls for and upped the cocoa by ¼ cup for a deeper chocolate flavor. I subbed toasted pecans for walnuts (toasting makes such a difference!) and added ½ t. salt as others have suggested. I used Rolos, which I had refrigerated; and during the unwrapping of the Rolos, I put the dough in the fridge. I baked them for 8:30 minutes exactly and they were perfect. Remember to NOT take them off of the cookie sheet too soon. I made this mistake and the caramel seeped through the cooling rack on ½ of my first batch. I ended up with 42 cookies, which I did drizzle with the vanilla coating. Even though I like the cookie better with the modifications I made, it's still a 5-star cookie!

This is one of the best recipes I've used. Followed exactly with one add: a sprinkle of rough cut sea salt on top gives it that little extra!!

Oh the agony of the first time you make these. They are great-tasting but too time-consuming. Thank heavens for the helpful hints by other reviewers. DON'T take the cookies off the cookie sheet in 1 min. per instructions. I left first batch on cookie sheet longer as someone suggested but it still wasn't long enough. The caramel leaked from the rack onto the counter. Let the cookies cool pretty well before transferring them. I also recommend you follow the reviewer's suggestion to work with only 4 at a time out of the fridge. I may experiment next time. Why couldn't you put the ball into a miniature muffin tin and just shove the Rolo on top and sprinkle with the sugar/nuts mixture?

omg! these were amazing! i excluded the walnuts (im not a huge fan) but used the dove caramel chocolates and it was fantastic! im honestly at a loss for words at how delicious these were. im so glad i found them and would recommend them to everyone.

Added full cup of coco powder and a 1/4 cup more of flour kneaded with hands. And wrapped it around peppermint patties and sprinkled with candy canes. Loved them!

THis cookie is now one of our favorites. One tip.. don't panic when you pull the batter out of the refrig and it is hard as a rock.. Let it sit for a bit and you'll be on your way. I am now making my second batch as the first did not make it till Christmas.

This was a great recipe to try. As someone who can bake basic things I thought that I might mess this up, but it worked out amazing. I used Hershey's kisses with caramel filling, and they didn't leak out at all. They were a big hit with everyone. This is a really great recipe, and really simple to do.

Excellent recipe for an aweszome tasting cookie. As a novice in the kitchen, I did't find this one very hard to do at all. Hint: Keep the dough in the fridge for 24 hours as well as the rolo's. Much easier to handle. Success with the family again.!! Thanks!!

These were amazing! I don't think that they were difficult to make at all. My three year old daughter and I had a blast putting them together. I can see how the dough gets sticky if not refrigerated for sure, so definitely do that. I also added slightly more flour. Plus, since I am a pregnant chocoholic, I doubled the cocoa. I took another reviewers advice about storing them in a container with a piece of bread at the bottom. It totally works! Yum yum!

These are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I've made two batches already, some as holiday gifts, and I had a hard time parting with them! Instead of walnuts, I used crushed hazelnuts and crushed almond slivers. YUM. I also used Caramello chocolate pieces, instead of Rolos. The Caramellos were great because they're square and flat. I crushed them a little before putting them into the cookies, so the caramel would melt more throughout the dough. I also used the BARE MINIMUM amount of dough needed to wrap around one chocolate piece. This made my second batch MUCH more soft and chewy for a longer time. In my first batch, I used way too much dough, and the cookies got rock hard after one day. Also, don't bake them for more than 10 minutes - from my experience, longer than 10 minutes makes the cookies harder (unless you prefer that). THANKS!!

Very good alternative to the "ordinary" cookie. I couldn't find choc. covered caramels, but just plain caramel in the center was still really good. Mine did not rise as much as the ones in the picture, but tasted great.

I have made these twice. The first time, I totally screwed it up by measuring an ingredient wrong and using plain caramels because apparently I can't read. The second time I added 1/2 tps of salt, which it definitely needed, even after my screw up the first time. I made half the batch with rolos and half the batch with milk chocolate chips mixed in. My husband thought the chocolate chips were just as good so I am sticking with those because it is easier. I used pecans instead of walnuts because I had them on hand already and mixed it into the batter.

These are awesome! Not much more I can say.

These are so addictive! Time consuming, yes, but so worth the wait. Don't wait until they cool to try one! Just make sure you completely cover the caramel with the cookie dough, otherwise you have a huge mess on your baking sheet.

Sorry - if you had major trouble with these, I think you did something wrong. I followed the recipe exactly (but baked at 365 instead of 375 because high temps with cookies are a no-no, at least in my high-altitude hometown). The dough was pretty soft but held up fine after refrigerating . . . it flattens a little around the Rolos after baking, but mine were still quite cute, and all cookies sink at least a little bit. Yum yum yum! Everyone loved these and I'll definitely be making them again, for holidays and every-days.

these were one of the best cookies i've ever made!!! The only thing i suggest is flattening out the caramel some before baking!

I took the suggestions of previous reviewers and added 1/4 cup more each of flour and cocoa powder, and they were perfect. I made the dough one night, stuck it in the fridge, and made the cookies the next night. Doing it like that, they didn't seem time-consuming at all. I lined my baking sheets with parchment paper so I could slide the whole sheet off the pan and let the cookies cool for awhile but still keep using the pan. Some of the best cookies I've ever had. Store them in an airtight container once they're cool, and they'll stay soft for days.

Just finished making this reciped. These cookies are awesome. I just the nestle treasures caramels, and omitted the nuts. I was not able to make as many as the recipe said I could, but never seem to. I must like bigger cookies than average. Definitely going to make this one again!!!

These are my signature cookie! I bring them to swaps and always send them to friends and family. I make the recipe as written, except I omit the nuts. I use rolo candies. I've never had a problem with leaky caramels, but I would think that freezing the candies would help. I use the medium size cookie scoop from Pampered Chef and they always turn out perfectly.

I made these with reeses mini peanut butter cups and with dove milk chocolate covered caramels and though the cookie part was really good I was dissappointed that the candies did not melt and spread any. There was a big lump of candy in the center of the cookie. Good but too much in one bite. I wish they would have spread out better. Maybe if I had squished them down some and made them flatter...

These cookies were the best cookies I've ever made. I chilled my dough overnight. They were so easy to make that my 3 year old daughter was helping me. 1 bag of Rolo's has about 54-56 pieces in it, so just grab one of those. Don't over cook your cookies, I had two batches, one cooked for 10 min, one for 8 min. The 8 min ones looked more "puffy" and cooled to be superiour in texture. These cookies are just awsome.. if my cookie jar wasn't emptied of them last night, I'd be eating one right now.