Preheat the oven to 375F, and line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat. (Silicone mats help cookies cook evenly and slows the spreading a bit. If you don’t have one, line your pan with two layers of parchment paper, and shorten the baking time by 1 minute).

In a medium bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on high for about 20 seconds. Add the sugars and continue beating.

Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until well-combined.

Sprinkle the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and caramel bits over the dough, and fold to combine everything.

Scoop out 12 dough balls onto the cookie sheet (leave them in little mounds, do not flatten), and bake for 10-12 minutes. Don’t be afraid of a little color on the cookies. The edges should be noticeably brown before removing them from the oven, and the tops may appear puffy and pale. The cookies will flatten and crackle as they cool (delicious!)

Enjoy WARM right out of the oven. If you have leftover cookies, heat them for 7 seconds in the microwave to soften caramel before eating.