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Sandies by the Sea

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks)unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted and very finely ground
20 caramel candies
3 Tbsp. cream or whole milk
2 to 3 Tbsp. large crystal sea salt
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate morsels

Directions:
Combine flour and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat to incorporate. Add dry ingredients in batches, mixing between each, and then stir in the ground pecans. Cover and chill dough one hour or until firm. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the sheets. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls with floured hands. Place on baking sheets at least 1-inch apart, and depress a cavity in the center of each ball using your thumb or a round object. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown and set. Check halfway through baking to see that the depressions are still deep enough to fill. If not, use a floured spoon to redefine. Remove cookies from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack set over a piece of parchment paper. Melt caramel candies and cream together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Fill the center of each cookie with approximately 1/2 tsp. of the caramel. While the filling is still warm, sprinkle centers evenly with sea salt, and let sit until firm. Place chocolate in a sturdy plastic bag in a bowl in microwave and heat on medium at 30-second intervals, massaging between each, until melted. Cut a small hole in corner bottom of bag and drizzle melted chocolate across each cookie; add additional salt if desired and allow cookies to sit until chocolate has become firm.