As part of my annual Christmas cookie baking, I always try a few new cookies. This year I tried out Sally's Baking Addiction's Chocolate Turtle Cookies. These cookies are fantastic. They are soft, pack a ton of flavor, and the nuts/caramel combination is perfect. As I was making the caramel for these cookies, I had a rare kitchen accident. I was using a silicone spatula to stir the caramel, and it started to melt! I had to clean out the saucepan and start over with a wooden spoon. At least these cookies were well worth it!
Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
2 cup pecans, chopped
Salted Caramel:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in the bowl of a mixer.
3. Add egg and vanilla to the butter mixture.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until incorporated.
5. Slowly stir in the milk. The dough will be very sticky.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough for at least 2 hours. Dough must be chilled prior to baking.
7. While the dough is chilling, make the caramel. Heat sugar in a non-stick sauce pan. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly.
8. Sugar will clump, then melt down into an amber color liquid. Be careful not to burn.
9. When sugar has melted, immediately add pieces of butter. Stir as it melts.
10. After butter has melted, very slowly add the heavy cream. This will bubble. Let caramel boil for about a minute as cream incorporates.
11. Stir in salt. Set caramel aside to cool.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with silpat mats.
13. Remove cookie dough from the fridge after about 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so that it is workable. Roll dough into heaping tablespoon balls.
14. Place chopped pecans in a bowl. Roll dough balls in the pecans and press into dough. Place balls of dough rolled in pecans onto prepared baking sheets.
15. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes. Cookies will be very soft. Let cool for at least 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
16. When cookies and caramel are both completely cooled, drizzle caramel over the cookies. Let cookies sit for about an hour for caramel drizzle to set.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
2 cup pecans, chopped
Salted Caramel:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in the bowl of a mixer.
3. Add egg and vanilla to the butter mixture.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until incorporated.
5. Slowly stir in the milk. The dough will be very sticky.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough for at least 2 hours. Dough must be chilled prior to baking.
7. While the dough is chilling, make the caramel. Heat sugar in a non-stick sauce pan. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly.
8. Sugar will clump, then melt down into an amber color liquid. Be careful not to burn.
9. When sugar has melted, immediately add pieces of butter. Stir as it melts.
10. After butter has melted, very slowly add the heavy cream. This will bubble. Let caramel boil for about a minute as cream incorporates.
11. Stir in salt. Set caramel aside to cool.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with silpat mats.
13. Remove cookie dough from the fridge after about 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so that it is workable. Roll dough into heaping tablespoon balls.
14. Place chopped pecans in a bowl. Roll dough balls in the pecans and press into dough. Place balls of dough rolled in pecans onto prepared baking sheets.
15. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes. Cookies will be very soft. Let cool for at least 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
16. When cookies and caramel are both completely cooled, drizzle caramel over the cookies. Let cookies sit for about an hour for caramel drizzle to set.