Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies puts all-purpose flour, cocoa powder and salt at the center of a cookie recipe and finishes in about 32 minutes, enough for 12 Cookies.

• Yield 12 Cookies
• Ready in 32 minutes
• Prep 20 minutes
• Cook 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg (separated, plus 1 egg white)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans (chopped fine)
• 14 soft caramel candies
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.
3. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. Whisk egg white(s) in another bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball.
5. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
6. Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentations with teaspoon measure. Fill each with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Let the center settle before you cut it, or the slices will slump.