Turtle Cookies

Cookie Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 T.  butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 T. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped

Caramel Filling Ingredients
14 soft caramel candies
3 T. heavy cream


Chocolate Drizzle  Ingredients
2 oz. milk chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening

Cookie Directions

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, heavy cream, 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 Directions

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 Directions

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.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Amanda's Notes
Holy cow - these are time consuming cookies, but definitely worth it for special occasions. I'm taking mine to a cookie exchange tomorrow. These might not be bad to make if it was only 1 batch that I made, but I made 4 batches in about 3 hours.