Turtle Thumbprints

Rich chocolate cookies rolled in finely chopped pecans, filled with gooey caramel and finished with a drizzle of rich, melted chocolate. The perfect treat for any turtle lover.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel, chocolate, Christmas, cookie, goodie tray, holiday, holiday tray, pecan, thumbprint

Category Cookies

Baking Ambition Adventurous

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 12

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 52

Servings

Calories 120kcal

Equipment

mixing bowls
electric mixer
shallow bowls/containers for dipping/rolling
baking sheets
microwave safe bowls small and medium

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1 ¼ cup flour
⅓ cup cocoa
½ tsp salt
1 stick butter room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
1 large yolk
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
2 large egg whites

For the caramel filling:

18 soft caramels (I like the Werther's soft caramels for this)
1 ½ tbsp heavy cream

For the chocolate topping:

1 tsp shortening
2 oz semisweet chocolate

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cookies:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt; set aside.
1 1/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 tsp salt
In another mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
1 stick butter, 2/3 cup sugar
Add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla; continue mixing until well incorporated.
1 large yolk, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla
On low speed, add flour mixture just until combined. Wrap the dough tightly and chill for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a wide, shallow bowl or other container, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Place the chopped pecans in another shallow bowl or container.
1 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, 2 large egg whites
Roll dough into 1” balls. Dip each ball in the egg whites, shake off excess and then roll in the pecans.
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using ½ tsp measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake until set (about 10-12 minutes).

For the filling:

While the cookies are baking, place the caramels and cream in microwave microwave safe bowl, heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until full melted and smooth.
18 soft caramels, 1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
Once cookies are removed from oven, fill each Indentation with caramel.
Allow cookies to cool completely.

For the topping:

Place the chocolate and shortening in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted.
1 tsp shortening, 2 oz semisweet chocolate
Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the cooled cookies in a decorative pattern

Notes

Option: If you prefer, you can make your own caramel for the filling rather than use the store bought caramels. This is actually my preference, I use the same recipe as for my Salted Caramel Sauce but cook the caramel to between 240° and 245° F. Allow the caramel to cool slightly before attempting to fill the cookies.

Nutrition