Salted Caramel Shortbread cookie

Cookie:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour

Topping:
1 bag caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons milk
4 oz chocolate melts
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat butter on high speed until creamy. Beat in sugar and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour until mixed. Note: dough might need a little additional flour. Dough will be soft, but should not be sticky.

2. Roll out the dough either between 2 sheets of wax paper of lightly flour the surface. (wax paper works great and makes for easy clean up!) You want your cookies about 1/4" thick. Cut with round cookie cutters.

3. Bake at 350 on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12-14 minutes. Cookies should barely be light golden.

4. In a medium microwavable bowl, Microwave caramels, milk and butter uncovered on high 2 minutes and 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Frost each cookie with 1 teaspoon. The first ones you frost the caramel on will spread a little so don't go all the way to the edge, unless you want the carmel to go over the sides.

5. Melt chocolate either in the microwave (50% power 1 minute and 30 seconds)
or in the oven: bake at 170 (or as low as your oven will go) put chocolate melts in a oven safe bowl and  in 8-10 minutes the chocolate should be perfectly melted. If there are any little clumps still left- take out and stir until completely melted. Drizzle chocolate over caramel and sprinkle with salt.