Ingredients
For the dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecans, finely chopped
For the caramel filling:
14 soft caramel candies
3 tablespoons. heavy cream
For the chocolate drizzle (optional):
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon shortening
Preparation
COMBINE flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
BEAT butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed 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 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 half-teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
BAKE at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.
MAKE 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.
MAKE 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.
Yields: about 15 cookies
