Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Happy new year! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that the start of 2015 has been a joy as well. Our new year's eve plans consisted of being around great friends, Chinese food takeout, board games, and a cookie exchange. There were delicious caramel and chocolate chip cookies as well as an oatmeal, chocolate, and Skor cookie. We contributed a caramel stuffed snickerdoodles - the name having many confused. Where are the Snickers? What makes them doodles? I had no idea, but a chewy cookie is my favourite kind of cookie.

Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles
(Makes about 4 dozen cookies)

2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
48 caramels

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes)
3. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Carefully pour in the dry ingredients and beat until mixture is well combined
4. Take out plastic wrap and wrap the dough. Chill overnight (or one to two hours if you're in a hurry).
5. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line your baking trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the ground cinnamon.
7. Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough. Roll into a ball and then flatten to form a disc. Take another scoop of dough and roll into a disc shape. Place a caramel in between the two discs of dough, like a sandwich! Gently fold the edges over so that that top and bottom dough meet. Roll to seal, make sure none of the caramel is sticking out. It should be encased in the middle.
8. Roll the ball of dough in cinnamon sugar. Place on parchment paper (or silicone mat) on a baking tray. Cookies should be placed two inches apart because they will spread!
9. Bake for 10 minutes, there might be some minimal cracking on the top of the cookies, but that's' okay!
10. Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool, you don't want the cookies to over bake.

Find caramel squares if possible, they're the perfect size!

Leftover cinnamon sugar is great on peanut butter toast with slices of banana.

Don't forget to give the cookies space to spread in the oven!

I love how these turned out. Little soft puffs. Like cinnamon sugar clouds.

And then there was the gooey, melting caramel in the center . . . good luck just eating one!

Snickerdoodles all packed up and ready for the cookie exchange!