Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies cant be beat. With their attractive look and believe me chocolate, nuts and caramel together taste fantastic as well. For my taste I love caramel so add just a bit more if you wish or slack back for a more chocolate flavor. For gift giving do not stack these cookies as they stay just a bit sticky

from Cook’s Country, December 2008

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

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 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 a 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.

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New) And Sew We Craft Together (W)- And Sew We Craft
Creative Spark (Wam)- My Paper Craze, Weekend Craft, Please Excuse My Craftermath
Fluster's Creative Muster (T5p)- Fluffer Buster
(New)Hit Me With Your Best Shot (T6p)- Dolen Diaries, Just a Girl and Her Blog, Made to Be A Momma, One Krieger Chick
Make Bake Create- Hope in Every Season
Moonlight and Mason Jars (T10pm)- Newlywed Pilgrimage, Five Heart Home, Cherished Bliss,  Made in a Day
Project Parade (Wa)- An Italian in My Kitchen, The Seasoned Homemaker, Life With the Crust Cut Off
Recipe Roundup (W7a)- Gooseberry Patch
*Retro Re-pin Party (pins) (T7)- 2 Crochet Hooks, Sustaining the Powers, Nifty Thrifty Family, Meatloaf and Melodrama, xoxo Grandma, Probably Crafting, Crafty Side of Sarcasm
Show and Share Wednesday- Mostly Homemade Mom
The DIY'ers (T4 or 5pm)- Bigger Than The Three of Us, Brave New Home, Homecoming, Simply Dream and Create
Wake Up Wednesday- Sew Crafty Angel + 24
Wednesday Roundup (W)- Foody Schmoody, The Princess and Her Cowboys, Love, Pasta and A Tool Belt, Lemoine Family Kitchen
*What We Eat (W10a)- Orchard Girls
What's Cookin' Wednesday (W)- Buns in My Oven
What's It Wednesday- Ivy and Elephants
Whimsy Wednesday (T6)- Oh My! Creative, The NY Melrose Family, Smart School House, Princess Pinky Girl, Simply Designing With Ashley
Wine'd Down Wednesday (T6p)- Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Our Three Peas, My Rays of Sunshine 
Wonderful Wednesday (T6p)- Ducks 'n a Row, Spatulas on Parade, Sugar Aunts, Recipes for Our Daily Bread, A Peek Into My Paradise, Flavors by Four, Pure Grace Farms
Wonderfully Creative Wednesdays (T7)- All She Cooks Mom's Test Kitchen, Nibbles by Nic, Sew Creative
Worthwhile Wednesdays (Tpm)- Crafty Allie
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