Caramel Cheese Popcorn Cookies

Servings 16 large cookies

Weigh 50 grams of sugar into a small pot
Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, swirling the pot frequently to distribute the sugar. Do not stir the sugar!
Heat the sugar until it is fully melted and deep golden/amber in color
Remove the caramel from the heat and pour it onto a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
Let the sugar cool completely. This will take at least 30 minutes, but you can do it up to 24 hours in advance of making the cookie dough.
Bread up the caramel sheet into smaller pieces
Put the caramel pieces and 1/8 teaspoon into the bowl of a mini food processor, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. Grind the caramel and cornstarch until the mixture is a blend of fine caramel dust and some small, nubbly pieces of caramel. No pieces should be larger than granules of turbinado/coarse sugar.
If you don't have any of these tools, you can do this in a ziplock bag wrapped in a kitchen towel. Crush the caramel inside of the bag with a rolling pin or other heavy implement.

Preheat your oven to 350F
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, combine 113 grams butter, 100 grams sugar, and 45 grams brown sugar. Beat the butter and sugars for 5-6 minutes until pale, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally.
Add 1 egg and 45 grams of honey to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed to combine.
Add 175 grams flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda to the bowl. Mix on low speed to combine. Stop when all of the flour disappears into the dough.
Divide the cookie dough in half. If you want to be exact, each half should weigh about 330 grams.

Combine one half of the dough with 30 grams of caramel dust. Use your hands, a wooden spoon, or a rubber spatula to work the sugar into the dough.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces

Combine the other half of the dough with 35 grams of cheddar cheese powder and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt. Use your hands, a wooden spoon, or a rubber spatula to work the sugar into the dough.
The cheese dough will feel stiffer and drier than the caramel dough - this is normal! Don't stress.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces.

Press one portion of cheese dough and one portion of caramel dough together gently.
Put the dough ball in one palm. Place your other palm over the dough ball and cup your hands so that the dough ball isn't visible.
Roll the dough ball between your cupped palms together firmly for at least 5 seconds to swirl the dough together
Uncup your palms. The dough ball may be pointy on the top and bottom - roll it gently between your palms to form it back into a ball
Repeat with the remaining dough pieces
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Place 8 cookie dough balls onto each baking sheet, leaving as much room between cookies as possible as these cookies spread a lot
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the bake
Let the cookies cool completely on the pans
Store the cookies in a well-sealed container at room temperature. Cookies will keep for 4-6 days at room temperature, or up to a month in the freezer.