These cookies have been in the back of my mind for a while now, and I was toying with the idea of adding them to my list of annual Christmas cookies. Then a friend of mine told me she made them and that they were amazing, so I needed no more convincing. I knew they had to be added to the list.

And they will remain on the list forever now.

Yum!

Salty and sweet with a deep, rich chocolate ending. These cookies are everything holiday rolled up in pecans and drizzled with chocolate.

We are down to the last few days before Christmas and I hope you have checked off most of your list so you can sit back and enjoy some time off with friends and family!

Recipe: Turtle Thumbprints

Ingredients:

1 Cup Flour

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Stick Butter, Softened

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Egg, separated. PLUS 1 additional egg white

2 Tablespoons Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Pecans, Finely Chopped

Caramel Filling:

1 Cup Kraft Caramel Bits (or about 20 kraft caramels, unwrapped)

2 1/2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Chocolate Drizzle

1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Combine the flour, cocoa and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until well combined and fluffy.

Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla and stir until combined.

Slowly add cocoa and flour mixture to batter and mix until fully incorporated.

Wrap dough into a ball or roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour or overnight.

Once dough has chilled, place chopped pecans in a small bowl and use a fork to beat egg whites until frothy.

Roll dough into 1” balls, roll in egg whites and then roll in pecan pieces. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and use a 1/2 teaspoon to press a “thumbprint” into the center of each cookie (you may want to use shortening before pressing to prevent from sticking).

Place cookies in the oven for about 8-12 minutes.

While cookies bake, place caramel and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in increments of 20 seconds, stirring well each time.

Remove cookies from oven and let cool for about 2 minutes on the pan. Then using the same 1/2 teaspoon, re-press holes and fill with melted caramel. Let cool on pan about 5 more minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Once all the cookies have been baked, take chocolate and melt in a small ziplock bag by placing it in hot water or running it under the faucet for a couple minutes until melted. Cut a teeny tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle chocolate over cookies. Let them cool  completely, about and hour/until chocolate hardens.

Freeze in a ziplock until ready to serve or wrap tightly in plastic or an air tight container.