White & Semi-sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies with Caramel Bits

My last two posts referenced items I brought from my parents' home in TX to my tiny apt in NYC. I talked about my grandmother's mixing bowls and my mother's sifter. Well, I also brought back something I used to own and "bake" with.

When I found this in a box I squealed with joy. When I was little I loved putting on my "Little Cook" apron. My mom would give me some pie dough to use my "to0ls" on. It was perfect bliss. Especially when my mom's pies came out of the oven.

Well, the apron is a little short on me now, but who knows. Maybe I'll use it and the tools once in awhile. You know...to make sure they still work and stuff. Yeah... 

Anyway you look at it, one cannot deny that I don't have a kid's attitude as well when it comes to making cookies. I decided to experiment with a child's joie de vivre and created my version of a toffee chocolate chip cookie that I found on tastespotting. The cookies weren't as soft as I like cookies to be, but the flavor was incredible!

White & Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies with Caramel Bits (adapted from Rebel without a Sauce)
*Makes around 20 medium sized cookies
½ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup (1 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup caramel (chopped into quarters or smaller)

-Preheat oven to 375°f/190°c and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Use parchment paper or you'll have a sticky mess to deal with.)
-Add sugar, dark brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl and beat whisk until smooth.

-Add baking soda, salt and flour to the sugar mixture and *whisk together until smooth.
-Fold in chocolate chips.
-Create a tablespoon full or cookie scoop full of the dough and press a couple of the caramel bits into the middle area of dough. Make sure no caramel is exposed to the sides/bottom becuase the caramel will ooze out and burn on the cookie sheet.
-Drop the dough onto baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart.
-Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the baking sheet and then bake for another 5 minutes.
-Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

(I had to bake my cookies for about 12-15 minutes.)

Bake well and prosper!

PS My mom asked if I could share a link of my opera singing on my blog. In honor of her request, I've made a silly slideshow with me singing Que fais-tu from Romeo and Juliette. If you've made it this far to the bottom of my post, then this treat is for you and your diligent reading! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOtqXmDsApo