Closet Cooking

Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Chocolate Turtle Cookies

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Chocolate Turtle Cookies

The holiday baking season is upon us and since you can never have too many holiday cookie recipes I have joined up with 12 other bloggers to bring you The Ultimate Baker’s Dozen Christmas Cookie Exchange. In addition to bringing you great holiday cookie ideas, 7 of the participating bloggers will be giving away cookie of the month club memberships! To see all of the participating bloggers, and to learn more about the cookie giveaways, please visit the Baker’s Dozen home site at www.13CookieChristmas.info .

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Chocolate turtles are a chocolate wrapped caramel and pecan treats that seem to flood the stores in time for the holidays every year. They are almost a Christmas tradition in my family. My grandfather liked them, my father likes them and I like them. There always ends up being a lot of boxes of chocolate turtles under the Christmas tree and it is almost a competition to see who gets the most. (It doesn’t help that I usually give away more boxes than I receive…)

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
When I came across the concept of chocolate turtle cookies on Baking and Boys I immediatly bookmarked the page and filed it away for next year. Now that the holidays are finally here it was time to make some chocolate turtle cookies! These chocolate turtle cookies are essentially a chocolate thumbprint cookie that is covered with chopped pecan pieces and filled with caramel and then topped with a pecan. (Katrina even drizzled hers in chocolate for even more chocolaty goodness!) The recipe as pretty easy to follow with the only thing out of the ordinary being some chilling time in the fridge for the dough before baking. I always seem to have this problem when making cookies where the recipe says that it will make 24 cookies and I only end up with about 12 cookies. I guess I just like my cookies large. Most of the recipes that I found called for melting the soft caramel candies for the caramel filling but since I had just made some dulce de leche I went with that instead. The chocolate turtle cookies turned out really well! The cookie was a nice and light and cakey and it went really well with the pecans and dulce de leche. I will definitely be making these for years to come!

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
I am now a dozen chocolate turtles in the lead! I will have to get the next batch into the oven as soon as possible to widen the gap! 🙂 Unfortunately I don’t think many will survive long enough to make it under the tree as they are disappearing rather quickly. They are like and endangered species.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Prep Time:30 minutes Cook Time:12 minutes Total Time:42 minutes Servings: 12
ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (finely chopped)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 24 teaspoons dulce de leche (or caramel)
  • 24 pecan halves
directions
  1. Mix the flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
  2. Beet the butter and sugar until fluffy.
  3. Beat in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla.
  4. Mix in the flour mixture.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
  6. Whisk the egg whites until frothy.
  7. Form the dough into 1 inch balls.
  8. Dip the balls in the egg white and then in the pecans.
  9. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet with the pecans face up.
  10. Indent the center of the balls with a teaspoon.
  11. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until set, about 10-12 minutes rotating the baking pan in the middle.
  12. Fill each cookie with a teaspoon of dulce de leche and top with a pecan.
Similar Recipes:
Cranberry Turtle Bars

To see all of the participating bloggers, and to learn more about the cookie giveaways, please visit the Baker’s Dozen home site at www.13CookieChristmas.info.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Joanne says

    December 10, 2009 at 11:16 am

    These are really the ideal cookie. I love the "turtle' combination of flavors (what a weird term). Especially in ice cream. But I will take them in a cookie as well. 😉

    Reply

  23. StephanieC says

    December 10, 2009 at 9:05 pm

    oh Kevin your killing me, these look great! I'm now planning to make some for our christmas, as the ones that usually get given, are rather terrible, but hubby just can't make himself tell his 98yr old aunt that. This year they can eat good turtles and 'save' the boxed ones.

    Reply

  35. Becky says

    December 11, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    turtles are my Mother's favorite Xmas candy and I am going to make these cookies for her as she couldn't find any Turtles this year. go figure, but these cookies look an acceptable substitute and I'm going to try them pronto. thanks Kevin

    Reply

  39. Rob says

    December 12, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    I love the chocolate turtles but they cost a fortune here in London and there is only one store that sells them (talk about a monopoly). I will definitely give these cookies a go – time to start filling up the biscuit tins anyway…

    Reply

  41. Rachael says

    December 15, 2009 at 4:52 am

    So I left a comment a couple of days ago saying I needed to make these. Well, I did and I am soooo glad about it! They are ammmazing! I used cajeta instead of the dulce de leche which was a bit runny but still unbelievable tasty. Thanks Kevin!

    Reply

  44. Gail says

    December 18, 2009 at 4:05 am

    Hi! I have only just stumbled upon your blog and I subscribed immediately! You are creative and a great foodie photographer! I made the Chocolate Turtle Cookies for my office Cookie Exchange and had to keep bragging about finding your blog. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  47. Steve says

    November 29, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    These cookies are absolutely delicous — very rich and chocolately!! The dulce del leche is the perfect caramel sauce (my first time making this.) Our smaller sized cookies turned out great and look wonderful on a Christmas plate. Got 52 from a double batch and will definitely make more soon!

    Reply

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