Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
These cookies require a little time to make and assemble, but their gooey goodness is worth the wait
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, separated
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup pecans, chopped very fine
- 14 soft caramels
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy 2-3 minutes.
- Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- When ready to bake, adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap caramels.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk until frothy. Place chopped pecans in separate bowl.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg white and roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in each cookie. Bake until set, about 12 minutes, rotating and switching baking sheet positions halfway through baking time.
- While cookies are baking, microwave caramels and cream until smooth, 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once cookies are baked, remove from oven, repress indentations and fill with 1/2 teaspoon caramel.
- Cool on sheets for 2-3 minutes before moving to rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container. These are best eaten in 1-2 days.