Turtle Thumbprints

Lvs2Cook's Note:

Caramel, chocolate, and pecans on a cookie -- yum!

• Total Time: 27 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 7 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 4 dozen

Cookie Ingredients

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling Ingredients

• 20 caramels, unwrapped
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 48 pecan halves

Drizzle Ingredients

• 1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon shortening

Directions:

1. Combine butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 375°F Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb. (Edges may crack slightly.) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool completely. Store cookies in a container with a tight-fitting lid for 2 to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
3. On serving day, combine caramels and whipping cream in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving 1 minute or until melted; stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture into center of each cookie. Top with pecan half. If caramel filling gets too thick, reheat in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds until it becomes spoonable again.
4. Place chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving 30 seconds or until melted; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set, about 2 hours.
5. To store drizzled cookies, arrange cookies between layers of waxed paper in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Store at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Reviews

[TnuSami]

Mmmmmmm!! I loved these!! The cookie flavor was delicious and then the caramel and the pecans & the chocolate - yum!! I think I overcooked them slightly, as it took longer than 10 minutes for them to begin to brown in my oven, but even so they still didn't get too hard or crispy, just maybe not as soft as I would guess they are supposed to be. I gave most of these away, so I look forward to making them again and enjoying! Thanks!!

[Sarah_Star]

Delectable, delicious, detrimental to my diet! But oh so good. I chopped up some extra pecans and added it to the cookie dough batter. Next time I am going to bake them a little less to have a slightly more softer and chewier cookie. Thank you! It made a wonderful addition to my christmas cookie platter.

[Chef #306157]

These cookies were great! Instead of refrigerating the dough for an hour I used it right away and the cookie seemed to bake smoother. I'm now going to make this cookie a regular for our Christmas trays.