You know how everyone has their desert flavor?

For some people, it’s chocolate.  (Ok, for a lot of people, it’s chocolate.) For others, it’s lemon or coconut or strawberry or mint.  But whatever it is, it’s that flavor that you just can’t resist on a menu — the one that calls your name every time you see it.

For me, that flavor is caramel. 

I’ll face it: I’m a little obsessed.  On this site, I’ve made homemade caramel sauce, caramel mousse, caramel fudge cookies, caramel syrup, caramel cupcakes, marshmallow caramel bars, and, of course, caramel ice cream. 

I know, I know.  It’s getting a little out of control at this point! 

Weirdly enough (go figure), I’ve never actually made caramels, but clearly that needs to be remedied pronto.

But that’s what happens when you have a favorite flavor — there’s no end to the variations you come up with.  So, to add to the list, I give you Caramel Sandwich Cookies.  They actually use the caramel sauce I made a few months ago, so this is a perfect recipe to use up any leftovers on. 

And they come out completely delicious.  Caramel buttercream, in between crispy chocolate cookies? 

Yes, please.  I’ll take the whole batch.

Caramel Sandwich Cookies

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies:
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the frosting:
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

For the cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cream together the butter and sugar and then add the egg yolk.  Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and then add that mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.  Drop dough by teaspoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment or Silipat.

Bake cookies for 7 minutes and allow them to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat together the caramel sauce and butter, then gradually beat in the confectioners sugar. 

Spread frosting on the bottom side of one cookie and then create a sandwich with a second cookie.  Repeat until all the cookies are gone! 

Makes about 30 sandwich cookies.

Yesterday, I realized something totally insane: Today is my one thousandth Sugarlaws post! 

I think I was subconsciously anticipating this huge milestone when I wrote on Wednesday about all the transitions I’ve gone through since starting this blog, but it’s crazy to think that in the last five years, I’ve written over a thousand posts on this site! 

I’d write about all the amazing ways my life has changed since starting this blog, but I already did that a few days ago. 

So I’ll just say this:

Sometimes the biggest moments in our life start in the smallest, least anticipated ways.

When I started Sugarlaws, I had no idea of the journey it would take me on.  I didn’t have a clue that it would change everything about my life, or that it would ever become such an integral part of my day-to-day.  It was a place to keep track of recipes as I made them, and my own little corner of the internet that I assumed no one would ever visit. 

I had no idea of the challenges and incredible opportunities it would bring my way, and I had absolutely no inkling of how many of my dreams it would make come true. 

I thought I was starting a blog.  I had no idea that I was starting a whole new life.

If you’re curious, check out my first post here.  Blogging was a different world back then — no magazine-style photos, no graphic designers creating the perfect layouts.  It was a lot less polished, but there’s something kind of sweet about starting that way. 

What a long, strange, and ultimately incredible road it’s been from there.

What a crazy seven months it’s been!  Someday, when I look back on my life, I have no doubt that the last five years will be the biggest whirlwind of huge changes I ever experience, culminating with this one. 

And you know what?  This whole period started right around the same time as Sugarlaws.  I started writing this blog back in October 2008 (you know, the age of dinosaurs in blog years) and back then, I could never in a million years have predicted where life would take me.

In the past five years, I’ve gotten engaged, gotten married, started a blog that changed my life in almost every way possible, moved across the country, bought a house, wrote three books, quit my law firm job to start my own practice, and now we’re having a baby.

Each one of those things on its own is enough to make your head spin, and it’s no surprise that for the past few years, I’ve often felt overwhelmed, constantly needing more hours in the day to get everything done.  When people asked me when we were planning to have kids, I used to look at them sheepishly and say, “I can barely balance everything now — how could we possibly add a baby to the mix?”

But now?  Weirdly enough, on the eve of the biggest change on that whole list, I finally feel like I have my life together.  I have a job that I love, and one that gives me enough flexibility that I can continue it after the baby is born.  We’ve found the house that our kids will most likely grow up in, and now, after many years of wondering, I can finally envision what that life will look like. 

No, I still don’t have quite enough hours in the day.  But I’m very, very happy with the hours I have. 

So, seven more weeks.  And then it’s all going to change, yet again.

(PS — If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I had my baby shower this weekend!  I have tons of photos and video to share, but it deserves its own post, so stay tuned!)

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 20 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? Pants, still in my regular tops and dresses.

Stretch marks? Still no!

Symptoms: Honestly, my symptoms are at the point where I’m way less comfortable sharing them on the internet.  I’m sure you’ll all miss my back pain and heartburn complaints terribly! 

Sleep: So so.  A technician in my doctor’s office told me that the times that I wake up during the night at this stage of pregnancy tend to correspond to when the baby will wake up after it’s born, so I’ll be looking forward to 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. feedings in May!

Best moment this week: My baby shower was so incredible!

Worst moment of the week: The baby hates pizza.  Sorry, apparently I’m not actually done complaining about heartburn…

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Champagne!  (I did have a tiny sip before my shower started — I couldn’t resist!)

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: Strawberries and chocolate. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Have you started to show yet: I am huge!

Labor Signs: I’ve started to get scared every time I have a weird sensation or pain that I’m going into labor.  So far, though, nothing that hasn’t resolved itself!

Belly Button in or out? In, but oh my gosh, any day now!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Finishing up all our last minute preparations so that he can arrive!