These chocolate turtle cookies are stunning, and their intense chocolate flavor combined with the smooth caramel speaks for itself!

When I saw this cookie in the last issue of Cook’s Country, I couldn’t wait to try it.

It looks like a perfect Christmas cookie but let me tell you, this cookie is so delicious, I want to make them every day of the week, regardless of the season!

Chocolate thumbprint cookie with caramel on the inside.

Albeit a little messy from the chopped pecans, these are fantastic and were a huge hit when I made them last week for a group of friends.

Not only are they stunning in appearance, but their intense chocolate flavor combined with the smooth caramel will speak for themselves!

Top view of a chocolate turtle cookie filled with caramel.
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Chocolate Turtle Cookies

4.48 stars (19 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
  • cup (28 g) cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, softened
  • cup (141 g) 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 

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
  • 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.
  • Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
  • 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.

Notes

Yield: the original recipe says it will make 2 dozen cookies, but I DOUBLED the recipe, and still only ended up with about 28 cookies (and I promise I didn’t eat that much of the batter).
Serving: 1 Cookie, Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 153mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 19g
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Country