Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars together until smooth.
Add the dry pudding mix, eggs, additional egg yolk, and vanilla and beat for about one minute on medium speed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
Scoop out 1½ - 2 tablespoon-sized scoops and stuff a caramel into the center of each, working the dough around it to seal. If using long thin caramels, cut in half before inserting into the dough.
Place cookie dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.