Turtles

By á-10254

Ingredients

• Cookie:
• Ingredients
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 c. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
• 2 T. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped
• Caramel Filling:
• 14 soft caramel candies (I used Kraft Traditional Caramels)
• 3 T. heavy cream
• Chocolate Drizzle (optional):
• 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used 2 squares of Baker's semi-sweet chocolate)
• 1 tsp. shortening

Preparation

Step 1

Honestly, THE best cookies I've ever had.  Of course, when a recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen, I expect no less.


Soft, chocolate-y, pecan-y cookie filled with smooth-&-creamy caramel.  Oh, and drizzled with chocolate drizzle if you so desire.  (I so desired.  So I added a touch of chocolate drizzle to the original recipe.)



'Nuff said.


I think I'll just let the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.



 And these insanely delicious beauties are actually pretty easy to make.

Whip up a chocolate dough.  Chill it and roll scoops of it into balls.



Dip each ball in egg whites, ...



... and pecans, ...



... squish an indentation in the middle, and then bake.



Melt some caramel candies and cream together, ...



... and put a dollop of caramel in each cookie's indentation.



Yum.

You could stop there.  But I didn't.




Melt some semi-sweet chocolate with a tiny bit of shortening.  I just put these in a zip-top baggie and place the baggie in a bowl of warm water until melty.



Then gently massage the baggie until the chocolate is melted and ready for drizzling.



Snip a very tiny hole in the corner of the zip-top baggie and drizzle away.



Mmmmmmm.  A little chocolate drizzle



Directions
Prepare the Cookies:  
1.  Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

2.  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.

3.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

4.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in another bowl.  Roll chilled 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.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.


Prepare the Caramel Filling:  
6.  Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7.  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.


Prepare the Chocolate Drizzle (optional):  
8.  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.

9.  Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag.  Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Enjoy! 

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This post is linked with Share Your Creations Thursday, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff, Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday, Inspiration Friday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday with Diane Balch, Sweets for a Saturday, Strut Yourself Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Sundae Scoop, Think Pink Sunday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sunday Showcase Party, On the Menu Monday, Mangia Mondays, This Weeks' Cravings, Tuesday Tutorials, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Whatcha Whipped Up, Cast Party Wednesday, Sunday Linky Party @ Petite Hermine, Mix It Up Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Wow Us Wednesdays, Show Off Your Stuff Party, Chic & Crafty Party, Get Schooled Saturday, Or So She Says ~ Your Great Idea Party, Lil' Luna Link Party, Saturday Show & Tell, Make the Scene Monday, Serenity Saturday, Friday Follow Along Party.