Description
These Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies combine rich chocolate dough, crunchy pecans, gooey caramel, and a drizzle of melted chocolate for a decadent treat with a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1 large egg, yolk and white separated
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
Topping
- 15 caramels (such as Kraft)
- 2 1/2 Tbsp heavy cream
- Flaky or coarse sea salt
- 3 oz chopped milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate
- 2 tsp shortening
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip softened butter, granulated sugar, and light-brown sugar on medium-high speed until slightly pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add buttermilk and dry ingredients. Blend in buttermilk, then with mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Chill dough. Shape dough into a ball, place on plastic wrap and flatten into a 6-inch disk. Wrap tightly and chill for 45 minutes until slightly firm (or up to 1 day, if refrigerated longer, let it rest at room temperature briefly before using to prevent cracking).
- Preheat oven and prepare coating. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the egg white from the refrigerator and whisk vigorously until frothy. Place finely chopped pecans in a separate bowl.
- Form and coat balls. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (approximately 18 grams each). Dip each ball into the frothy egg white to coat, letting excess drip off, then roll immediately in chopped pecans, pressing gently if needed to adhere.
- Make thumbprint indentations and bake. Place coated balls on parchment-lined baking sheets. Make a deep thumb indentation in the center of each ball. Bake for 12 minutes until set. Remove from oven and use the bottom of a rounded teaspoon to gently press down the indentation further, creating more space for caramel. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare caramel topping. Place caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Spoon caramel into each cookie indentation and sprinkle with a small pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Prepare chocolate drizzle. In another microwave-safe bowl, combine chopped chocolate and shortening. Heat on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag, cut a small tip from the corner, and drizzle over the cookies.
- Set and store. Allow the chocolate drizzle to set before storing cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- If chilling dough longer than a few hours, allow it to rest at room temperature briefly before shaping to avoid cracking.
- Use quality caramel candies for smooth, rich caramel filling.
- Coating the dough balls in egg white and nuts adds both texture and flavor contrast.
- Shortening in the chocolate drizzle helps keep the chocolate smooth and glossy after cooling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
