1-Prepare the caramel first: Make the hard caramel ahead of time, let it cool completely, then cut into bite-size pieces roughly the size of a chocolate chip. This step adds that special salted touch!

2-Preheat and prep: Heat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to keep things neat and easy.

3-Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. This creates the base for that incredible chewy texture.

4-Add eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to blend everything smoothly.

5-Combine dry ingredients: Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt over the mixture and blend for about 1 minute to evenly distribute.

6-Fold in flour: Remove the beaters and gently fold in the flour until just combined, leaving faint streaks for a tender dough.

7-Add chocolate and caramel: Stir in the dark chocolate and hard caramel pieces until they’re spread throughout the dough, ready for baking excitement!

8-Scoop and bake: Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them out. Bake for 11 minutes initially.

9-Reshape and finish: Pull the sheet from the oven, gently flatten and reshape each cookie with the edge of a silicone spatula, then pop it back in for an extra 1 minute. They’ll look a bit under-baked, which is perfect for chewiness.

10-Cool: Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t forget to sprinkle with sea-salt flakes if you like that extra crunch!