Turtle Cookies

These cookies are AMAZING!! I love just about anything turtle (caramel, pecans, chocolate), but these are almost my favorite thing including those ingredients now. You will not be able to stop eating them. I used my homemade caramel and wow, so good! Definitely make these!!

Turtle Cookies
from The Kitchen is My Playground

Ingredients:
Cookie: 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 

Caramel Filling: 
14 soft caramel candies (I used homemade.)
3 Tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate Drizzle (optional): 
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon oil

Directions:

To make cookie:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside. 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/cocoa mixture. Mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

When ready to make cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll 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.

Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes. While cookies are baking, melt caramel.

Caramel Filling: 

Heat caramels and cream together on the stove top or in the microwave,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 or so of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Drizzle (optional): 

Place chocolate and oil 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 cookies.