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Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

6 Ratings

2 Comments

Prep 50 min
Total 2 hr 30 min
Servings 42

This version of the classic turtle candy has chocolate, caramel and pecans… all in a cookie! MORE + LESS -

The Decorated Cookie

September 20, 2016

Ingredients

(17.5 oz.) package Betty Crocker™ Sugar Cookie Mix

tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4

cup cocoa powder

stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened

egg

cups pecans, finely chopped

egg whites

cup soft caramel candies

tablespoons half and half

1/2

cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (optional)

Steps

Hide Images

1

In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a standing mixer) stir together cookie mix, flour and cocoa powder. On low speed, blend in the stick of butter and the egg. Keep mixing, moving to medium speed after the ingredients have been incorporated, until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for an hour.
2

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking trays. You should have 40 to 42 balls of dough on the trays. Keep 1 tray in the refrigerator while you work with the other.
3

Place pecans in a bowl or on a plate. Separate 2 eggs, reserving only the egg whites. Add a teaspoon of water to egg whites. Whip egg whites with a whisk until frothy. Dip a dough ball in egg whites. Immediately roll ball in pecans. Place ball on tray and repeat with the rest of the balls. Use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring cup to indent the centers of balls.
4

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the dough is set if pressed. If necessary, gently re-indent the cookies as soon as tray is removed from oven.
5

Roll, dip and indent the other half of the dough on the other tray and bake.
6

In a microwave-safe bowl, place caramel candies and half and half. Microwave at 70% power for 90 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave at 15-second intervals until fully melted. Use a little spoon to spoon caramel in the divot of each cookie.
7

If desired, melt chocolate chips in microwave according to package directions. Spoon chocolate into a disposable decorating bag or a zip-top bag. Snip 1/4 inch from the tip and drizzle chocolate on cookies.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 140
Calories from Fat: 70

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 8g; 12%
Saturated Fat 2 1/2g 13% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 10mg; 4%
Sodium: 65mg; 3%
Potassium: 60mg; 2%
Total Carbohydrate: 16g; 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 10g
Protein: 1g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 0%; 0%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 0%; 0%
Iron: 2%; 2%

Exchanges:

0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Sugar cookies. Check. Chocolate. Check. Pecans and caramel. Check and check.

Since these delicious turtle thumbprint cookies have all the things, they are the only cookie you need this season! Luckily they’re delicious and fun to make. One bite into the rich chocolate cookie, soft caramel and crunch of pecans and you’ll be hooked.

Why are they called turtles? The cookies incorporate the elements of the classic “turtle” candy—pecans or peanuts and caramel with chocolate. One day in 1918, a salesman showed the candy to a dipper at the Johnson’s Candy Company and he said it looked like a turtle. And there you go!

The “thumbprint” part of the name comes from making the indentation in the center (with your thumb, of course—though I use a little spoon instead of my thumb since it’s easier).

Enough history, let’s get baking!

To make things easy, we’ll first make the cookie dough base with Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix. I mostly follow the instructions for “cutout cookies” on the package, but I change things just a bit.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together the cookie mix, three tablespoons of flour and ¼ cup of cocoa powder. On low speed, mix in the stick of butter (softened, not melted) and an egg. Keep mixing, moving to medium speed after the ingredients have been incorporated, until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for an hour.

Meanwhile, line two baking trays with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place two cups of finely chopped pecans in a bowl or on a plate.

When the dough is ready, roll the chilled dough into balls that are one-inch across. It takes just under a tablespoon of dough to roll a ball this size. Place on the baking trays an inch apart. You should have about 40 to 42 dough balls spread across the two trays. Keep one tray in the fridge while you work with the other.

Separate two eggs, reserving only the egg whites. Add a teaspoon of water to the egg whites. Whip the egg whites with a whisk really well until they’re frothy. Dip a dough ball in the egg whites. Immediately roll the ball in the pecans. (Your hands will get messy by the way!) Place the ball on the tray and repeat with the rest of the balls.

Use a quarter teaspoon (or your thumb) to indent the centers of the balls.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the dough is set when pressed. If the dough has poofed up at all, gently re-indent the cookies with the teaspoon as soon as the tray is removed from the oven.

Roll, dip and indent the other half of the dough on the other tray and bake those.

In a microwave-safe bowl, place the caramel candies and the half and half. Microwave at 70% power for 90 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave at 15-second intervals until fully melted.

Use a little spoon (the quarter teaspoon you used to indent the cookies works well) to spoon caramel in the divot of each cookie.

If desired, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to package directions. Spoon the chocolate into a disposable decorating bag or a zip-top bag. Snip ¼ inch from the tip and drizzle chocolate on the cookies. I made criss-cross marks. Like a turtle. Because turtles!

Let the caramel and chocolate set and enjoy. Or give and then enjoy!