Start by preparing your hard caramel according to your favorite recipe. Cook it until it reaches a golden bronze hue, then pour it onto a prepared pan. Allow it to cool and chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl or using an electric mixer, cream together the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

Add the large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, gently fold in baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour until just combined, ensuring you don’t overmix. Finally, fold in the chopped dark chocolate and caramel pieces, creating a wonderfully sticky and rich dough.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough onto your prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for approximately 11 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they should look slightly underbaked.

Once baked, remove from the oven and gently reshape them if they need a little help. Bake for an additional minute if necessary. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt right after baking for an extra flavor kick!