Description
Indulgent chocolate turtle cookies bring together rich chocolate, gooey caramel, and crunchy pecans in a delightful dessert. Luxurious layers of flavor melt together, creating an irresistible treat you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1 1/4 cups pecans, finely chopped
Liquid and Flavoring Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Topping and Filling Ingredients:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 14 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
- 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the baking workspace by warming the oven to 350F and lining baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to integrate dry ingredients evenly.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture appears light and airy. Incorporate egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract, blending until smooth.
- Gradually fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until a cohesive dough forms.
- Whip egg white until it becomes frothy and develops a light, foamy texture.
- Form the dough into compact 1-inch spheres, then dip each ball into the egg white, ensuring complete coverage.
- Roll the egg white-coated dough balls in finely chopped pecans, creating a crunchy exterior.
- Arrange the pecan-crusted cookies on the prepared baking sheets, maintaining consistent spacing.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for the cookies to set and develop a slight firmness.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, gently press a caramel candy into the center of each warm cookie.
- Transfer cookies to wire cooling racks, allowing them to reach room temperature.
- Create a chocolate drizzle by melting chocolate and heavy cream together over low heat, stirring until achieving a silky, smooth consistency.
- Once cookies have completely cooled, elegantly drizzle the chocolate mixture across the top of each cookie.
Notes
- Swap out pecans for other nuts like almonds or walnuts if allergic or prefer different flavors.
- Chill dough for 30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and maintain cookie structure.
- Use gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version that maintains the rich chocolate taste.
- Sprinkle sea salt over chocolate drizzle to enhance caramel and chocolate flavor complexity.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg