Turtle Cookies

By lisapearce

The delicious combination of caramel, chocolate, and pecans will make these turtle cookies your new favorite treat!

Ingredients

• CARAMEL FILLING:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teapoon salt
• 8 tablespoon butter, 1 stick softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 14 soft caramel candies
• 3 tablespoon heavy cream
• CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:
• 2 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 easpoon shortening

Preparation

Step 1

COOKIE:
Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans. Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

CARAMEL FILLING:
Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:
Place chocolate and shortening in a small zip-top plastic bag. Set bag in a bowl of warm water to soften. Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed. Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.