Chocolate Turtle Cookies

I have been so motivated to bake lately and had simply loves it so much I had been baking everyday. Came across an interesting recipe that uses my favorite ingredients, Pecan nuts and chocolate. Baked it last night and the taste was definitely pleasing to the palate.

Recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

Cookie dough

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1 stick (or 114g) unsalted butter, softened

·         2/3 cup sugar

·         1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white

·         2 tablespoons milk

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 1/4 cups pecans, finely chopped  (can be replaced with roasted peanuts, finely chopped)

Caramel filling

·         14 soft caramel candies

·         3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

1. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in bowl, whisk to mix well.
2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add  flour mixture until just combined.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
5.   Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and Preheat oven to 380 degrees C. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
6. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl.
7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on parchment paper. Using 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon, make indentation in center of each ball.
8. Bake until set, about 12 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
9. Microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. (I do not have any caramel candies when I baked this and I simply use ready made bottled caramel)