If you’re prone to having your cookies spread or not bake up as thick as you wish, this foolproof recipe is what you need (courtesy of baking the cookies in a muffin pan) and you don’t even need to use a mixer. The dough is made in one bowl, you don’t have to chill it, and from start to finish, 30 minutes is all that separates you from warm, thick, stuffed cookie heaven. The cookies are buttery soft with squishy interiors, and a slight chewiness around the edges. The chocolate is melty and gooey, and will make you reach for napkins. The best part is finding a big buttery, rich caramel in the center. It’s like digging for a treasure and striking gold.
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Panextremely well with cooking spray; set aside. I don’t like the cosmetic look of paper liners because of ridges they leave, and have never tested this recipe with them and unsure if they stick.
To a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power. Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the egg.
Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Using a 1/4-cup measure, portion out the dough, into 12 equal-sized pieces. I found that a scant 1/4 cup was an ideal size and allowed for 12 cookies. If you use a slightly slightly overfilled 1/4-cup, you may only yield 10-11 cookies. The chocolate chips may be prone to falling out, but just keep pressing them back in, and strategically place chips at the top of the dough mounds.
To the center of each dough mound, insert 1 caramel. Tuck the sides up the dough up around the caramel so that it’s totally contained and sealed within dough. This is important so it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan while baking since they could turn into sticky, molten mess. Roll each stuffed mound of dough between palms to form smooth balls and place 1 ball into each of the 12 cavities of the prepared pan.
Bake for about 10 to 11 minutes, or until tops are just set; making sure not to overbake because cookies will continue to cook in pan (carryover cooking) while they cool. Allow cookies to cool in pan for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm enough to remove. I baked the cookies shown for 10 1/2 minutes and allowed them to cool in pan for 20 minutes. To dislodge cookies if you’re having any trouble, gently run the tip of rubber spatula around the rim of the cavity. Don’t use a knife because it’ll scratch the pan. Or simply invert the pan over a your work surface and tap on the bottom and they’ll pop out. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Unbaked cookie dough mounds can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.