21 Days of Cookies: Day 5
This cookie is essentially chocolate pecan shortbread with a caramel center. As Ina Garten might say…
It’s not a true shortbread, because of the egg, but there is no other leavening. So the only rise and spread you’re going to get is from the egg and the water vapor in the butter. They’re also little, so you can fit 24 on a baking sheet. That’s good, because this recipe makes a whopping 72 cookies, so being able to fit a lot on one sheet will save you time.
Now, although chocolate and caramel and pecans are all wonderful, they share another attribute. They are brown. Brown, brown, brown. And these cookies looked very, very brown sitting there on the sheet, so I decided to make them look a little more interesting with a white chocolate drizzle. This is optional.
The original instructions for this cookie tell you to make a well in the center of each cookie with a wooden spoon handle. You can do that, or you can just use your thumb (hence: thumbprint). With either method, some of the sides will split and you’ll have to mend any cracks by re-forming the cookie with your fingers. Also, be careful to not make your well too deep, or you risk poking a hole in the bottom, as I clearly did above. That is ok. It just gives you an extra-special bite of chewy caramel.
You’re instructed to fill these tiny holes about halfway. I was trying to figure out how to get my caramel in such a little hole without making a big sticky mess, and then I had my “aha” moment. Finally all those unused syringes from when my kids were little have a use!
The nuts can be omitted, of course, if that is your preference. Personally, I like the texture. I watched a show on Food Network a long, long time ago where a pastry chef said that every good dessert must have at least three textures. Cookie – caramel – pecan checks that box. Does the drizzle count as 4? I’ll allow it.
Turtle Thumbprints
Ingredients
- 1½ cups butter softened
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 12 oz mini-semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans chopped and toasted
- 1 bottle caramel ice cream topping only about half the bottle is used
- 4-6 oz dark and white chocolate candy coating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cream butter and sugar together.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking cocoa.
- Add flour mix to wet mixture.
- Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
- Form dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon or your thumbs, make an indentation in the middle of each ball. Use your fingers to smooth out any cracks. Be sure to not poke your hole through the bottom of the cookie.
- Fill each cookie halfway full with caramel topping.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until caramel is very bubbly and the cookie are set.
- Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling.
- Drizzle cooled cookies with dark and white chocolate coating.
