Chocolate Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

Well, that’s rather a long title for a cookie.  I could call them simply chocolate thumbprints, but then you would miss out on the fact that there’s caramel in that little indentation, not jam as you might expect.  And why pecan?  Aren’t pecans always paired with chocolate and caramel as in “turtles”?  Of course,  I could have called them Chocolate Turtle Cookies,  but I wouldn’t want you to  get the wrong idea and think there were turtles in them either. So, Chocolate Caramel Pecan Thumbprints it is.   You’re gonna love em.

Usually when I see thumbprint cookies they are a light color with a red or green jam in the thumbprint, so I thought one with a chocolate cookie base would be a nice addition to a cookie tray. These could be rolled in powdered sugar or chopped nuts if you really want to fancy them up in addition to the caramel and pecan.

In this recipe I also pass along my trick for getting a perfect indentation to fill with jam or whatever when you make these kind of cookies.  A Cork.  Save a cork from a wine bottle and use it to make that dent and it will be symetrical and  perfectly round and hold just the right amount of filling.  S0000, here we go—-

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN THUMBPRINTS

YIELD:   about 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

Chewy chocolate, gooey caramel, and crunchy pecan.

• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• caramel ice-cream topping
• pecan halves, or large pieces

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.

2.  Combine flour, cocoa and salt;  gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.

4.  Shape dough into 1 – inch balls.  Place 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Using a cork, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.   If you wish you can roll the balls in powdered sugar or chopped nuts before making the indentation.

Using a cork makes a perfect indentation for the filling.

5.  Fill each indentation with some caramel sauce, and place a pecan half on top.

Top each cookie with a pecan half.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until center is set.  Remove from oven to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.   Store in an air tight tin or container with wax paper separating the layers.

Pretty cookies inviting you to take a bite.

SOURCE:   adapted from  The Taste of Home Baking Book