Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen: Turtle Cookies

Turtle Cookies

These might be my new favorite cookie! They are soft, the caramel is gooey, and aren't they pretty? The perfect holiday cookie. They were also not difficult at all and pretty foolproof, which is always a bonus!

Ingredients:

Cookie:

1 C. flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, softened

2/3 C. sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus one additional egg white

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp milk

1 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans

Caramel filling:

14 traditional caramels (I used Werther's soft caramels)

3 Tbsp. cream

Chocolate Drizzle:

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate bar

1 tsp shortening

Directions:

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on med-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and milk until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture just until incorporated. Do not overbeat.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.

Whisk egg whites until fluffy (by hand). Place pecans in a separate bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Dip in egg whites and then roll in pecans. Place on cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Use the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 until set, about 12 minutes.

For caramel filling: Microwave caramels and cream, stirring occasionally, until smooth and melted, about 1-2 minutes.

When cookies come out of the oven, gently re-press indentations. Fill with 1/2 tsp. caramel filling. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire wrack.

Melt chocolate and shortening together in a plastic bag dipped in hot water. Cut tip off bag and drizzle over cooled cookies.

Yield: About 30 cookies.

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Cookie:

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

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!