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Christmas: Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Source of Recipe


Cook's Country (December / January 2009)



List of Ingredients



• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 large egg, separated, plus one egg white
  
• 2 Tbsp milk
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup pecans, chopped fine
  
• 14 soft caramel candies
  
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  






Instructions



1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
   
   
2. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentations with teaspoon measure. Fill each with ½ teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.