Day 5 of the 12 Days of Cookies - Chocolate Chip Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

*DISCLAIMER - I take NO responsibility for any needed dental work that may occur after biting into one of these cookies. After they've sat out for a little while, the caramel will tend to harden. While laying in bed thinking about hardened cookies, I had a light bulb flash above my head! I think, and this is just a suggestion, that if you put a couple of these into the microwave for about 5-10 seconds that they'll soften. But don't leave them in there too long, you may burn your mouth  and I'm not responsible for that, either!  ;-)

I was in the kitchen today... Of course I was in the kitchen today.
I have a blog about food. Where else would I be that would be relevant to my post?
Anyway, I was baking cookies and had the Disney Children's Channel on. This song came on and it brought tears to my eyes thinking about my three babies and how very much I love them.

But I was thinking about one baby in particular because this song reminds me of her.
Our middle daughter.
So much has happened in her 18 years and at times, she hasn't had it easy going through 6 surgeries for her hip dysplasia with two of those being major reconstructions.
She was first diagnosed when she was 3 1/2, then after finally potty training her (she was the stubborn one) she spent six weeks in a spica cast, which encased her body from her chest down to both ankles with a bar in between her legs.
She spent a lot of those 6 weeks on the floor, but was able to spend a lot of quality time with her brother who was also on the floor a lot being 6 months old at the time.
Her 5 year old sister was a huge help assisting with whatever her sister needed and playing, coloring or reading books.
Our daughter's been strong "like bull" as she used to say, through it all.  I know it's helped to shape her into the incredible young woman she is today.
She is a fully functional and healthy young woman.
Oh, that kind of freaks me out.  We now have two grown women as children and beautiful children they are.
I know I'm not alone when I say my children are beautiful - every parent thinks that of their children and if they don't, they should.
My husband and I have been completely blessed.  These young people that we've raised are happy, responsible, and respectful.
Yes, we've had our issues as every family does I'm sure, but they're unique to us and exactly what our family needed at that particular time.
Each struggle has helped us grow.
As individuals, but also closer together as one cohesive unit - our family.
Being on a school bus in high school and looking out the window into the cars of moms with kids in car seats, I knew right then and there that nothing was more important to me than to...
Be. A. Mom.
I cherish every day that I've been able to spend with each one of our children, every moment, every breath.
Even those when they were little and I thought I'd lose it or those times when I'd go into a room away from the childhood chaos and cry.
Yes, there were painful moments, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
It's made us who we are, brought us to where we are and I know we are right where we're supposed to be.
And for that, I'm grateful.
Very, very grateful.

Adapted from the Nestle Toll House Cookie Recipe.

Chocolate Chip Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies - makes about...um, a whole lot of 'em because I forgot to count them before we all started ah, eating them.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
25 wrapped caramels
1 cup peanut butter pretzel sandwiches (I used Hanover Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwiches) -  *but if you can't find these, add 2 tablespoons (or more to your taste) of peanut butter when creaming the butter, sugars and vanilla and add 3/4 cup plain crushed pretzels after adding the chocolate chips.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, and vanilla until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add eggs and beat until thoroughly incorporated, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.

Gradually add flour mixture.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Place pretzel sandwiches into a Ziploc bag and crush.

Unwrap caramels and cut them into quarters. Place caramels and crushed pretzels into mixing bowl. Stir into batter.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  If you remove any sooner than that, you may have a drippy caramel mess.
Store in an airtight container and soften for a few seconds in microwave if caramel is too hard.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Chocolate Chip Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies earned 3 rolling pins. 
They were good, but I don't think they were the ultimate Christmas cookie.
I'd definitely make them at any time of the year though and will probably be making them again.

I mentioned on the 365 Facebook page that I had a cookie fail and yes, it had to do with these cookies.
THIS is what I had originally intended to do with these chocolate chip cookies...

Place the caramel on top of a whole peanut butter pretzel sandwich...

Place the combination between two flattened tablespoons of flattened plain ol' chocolate chip cookie dough...

Wrap the whole bit of yumminess up and place them onto a cookie sheet...
(these were REALLY BIG balls of goodness!)

 BUT... you can see that the best laid plans don't always turn out.    haha  :-/

They didn't taste that great this way either, so I scratched that idea ans went with what I wrote.
Much better!

Oh, I almost forgot!!! 
Tomorrow, Wednesday and each Wednesday, Rachel from My Disorganized Life will be co-hosting a weekly (of course it's weekly if it will be each Wednesday. DUH! Nothing like repeating myself and sounding redundant! hee hee There I go again!) link-up party!!
So come join the fun and show us what you've been creating the past week and see what other people have brought to share!! 
We're SO very excited for this!!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!