Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
Servings 15 cookies
Turtle Thumbprint Cookies are soft chocolate cookies that are rolled in crunchy pecans complete with a gooey caramel center and chocolate drizzle!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature - use the egg white as one of the two needed below
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 14 chewy caramel candies I use Kraft brand
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup melting wafers
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until combined.1 large egg yolk, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- At low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
- After chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Beat egg whites with a fork until frothy.2 large egg whites
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the dough and roll into balls.
- Dip the balls of dough in the eggs whites and then roll in the pecan pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.1 cup pecan pieces
- Use the back of a round teaspoon to make an indent in the center of the balls, pressing down gently so you don't crack them too much.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
- While the cookies are baking, add the caramels and heavy cream to a medium bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one until smooth, about 2 minutes.14 chewy caramel candies, 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Remove cookies from the oven and repress the teaspoon into the indent again and fill the indent with the caramel sauce and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each one until melted. Drizzle over the cooling cookies.½ cup melting wafers
Notes
- Chocolate chips + 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening can be used in place of melting wafers.
- Storage Instructions: Place these Turtle Cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper separating each layer of cookies. This way the cookies won’t stick to each other! These Turtle Cookies can then be stored at room temperature to be enjoyed for 3 to 4 days.
- Does The Caramel Center Stay Gooey Or Does It Get Hard and Crunchy? The caramel center doesn’t stay gooey, but it does remain chewy! No need to worry about biting into the cookie to find hard, crunchy caramel. If you want the center to be gooey, you can pop the cookie in the microwave for a few seconds!
- Can I Just Use Salted Butter In This Recipe? Yes, salted butter can be used in place of unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt that the recipe calls for.
- How Come My Turtle Cookies Spread So Much When Baking? The cookie dough likely was too warm! Be sure to refrigerate it for the full hour and have your assembly line ready before taking the dough out. That way you can work quickly, preventing the dough from getting too warm. Resulting in baked cookies that spread!
- Can I Make These Cookies Ahead Of Time And Then Freeze Them? Yes, this can be done two different ways. One way is to bake and assemble the cookies before freezing. The baked cookies can then be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month. The second method is to make the dough, roll it into balls, and then freeze the dough balls. When you’re ready to make and bake the cookies just transfer the dough into the fridge to thaw. Once the dough balls are soft enough you can follow the remaining recipe instructions and bake.
- Recipe Tips:
- Measure Flour Correctly – One of the key factors in these cookies turning out deliciously chewy and moist is to measure the flour correctly! Skip diving your measuring cup into the flour bag and scooping it out. Instead, properly measure your flour by first fluffing the flour with a fork in the bag or storage container that it’s in. Then use a spoon to scoop the flour from the bag and into the measuring cup. Allow it to peak over the rim of the measuring cup and then use the straight edge of a butter knife to level it off. This method prevents you from packing the flour in the cup, resulting in too much flour that will leave you with dry, crumbly cookies!
- Room Temperature Butter – Be sure to set your butter out to come to room temperature before making this recipe! Room temperature butter allows it to incorporate with the other ingredients nicely while also giving the cookies a nice even bake.
- Caramel Centers – To make the caramel centers I use Kraft brand chewy caramel candies with heavy cream. This creates the best caramel texture for these cookies! I don’t recommend using a caramel sauce as the sauce won’t firm up, making for a cookie with a loose center.
- Assembly Line – Prepare an assembly line before taking your cookie dough out of the fridge. This way the dough spends as little time as possible at room temperature, causing the dough to get too warm before baking. Set out your baking pans, finely chopped pecans in a bowl, and beaten, frothy egg whites.
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/turtle-thumbprint-cookies/