Turtle Cookies

A butter cookie filled with caramel, rolled in nuts and covered with a bit of chocolate. Fast and easy! Your friends and family will think you spent hours in the kitchen creating these gems!.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  cup confectioners' sugar
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  egg whites
• 1 1⁄2 cups  finely chopped  nuts (, Pecans or almonds work well)
• 1⁄2 cup  caramel (home made, ice cream topping or apple dip)
• 1  cup milk or 1  cup  semisweet chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Melt chocolate.
3. Electric Mixer Method-------------.
4. Have butter at cool room temperature (65 Degrees F.).
5. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
6. Beat in the vanilla.
7. Beat in flour till just combined.
8. Food Processor Method--------------.
9. Cut cold butter into 1" chunks, process with sugar until smooth.
10. Add vanilla, pulse till combined.
11. Add flour, pulse till combined.
12. BOTH METHODS----------------.
13. Turn dough onto a piece of wax paper, press into a 6" x 4" rectangle.
14. With a knife cut 24 equal cubes (1x1), roll each cube into a ball.
15. Roll cookie balls in the egg whites, then roll them in the chopped nuts.
16. Place the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
17. Using your finger or the greased end of a wooden spoon, make an indention in the center of each cookie.
18. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until bottom of cookies are lightly browned.
19. When the cookies come out of the oven fill the indentions with the caramel filling, and let cool for 10 minutes.
20. Pour chocolate over each cookie to cover the caramel center.
21. Let stand until chocolate is set.