Description
Delicious Turtle Cookies combining rich cocoa, soft caramel, crunchy pecans, and chocolate chips, finished with a smooth chocolate drizzle. Perfectly soft with a delightful mix of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped soft caramels, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided
For the Chocolate Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Mix Butter and Sugars: Beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a creamy base.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract until combined thoroughly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute dry ingredients.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in Mix-ins: Fold in 1 cup each of chopped soft caramels, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup of each for topping.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop rounded dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart for even baking.
- Add Center Caramel and Toppings: Press a piece of the reserved soft caramel into the center of each cookie dough ball, then sprinkle the tops with the reserved chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until cookies are set around the edges but still soft in the center, allowing them to spread nicely.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before decorating.
- Melt Chocolate Drizzle: Melt the 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in 20-second intervals and stirring until smooth.
- Drizzle Chocolate: Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziplock bag, snip a small corner off, and gently squeeze to drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies evenly.
- Set Chocolate: Allow the chocolate drizzle to set at room temperature or place the cookies in the fridge for a few minutes to speed up the setting process.
Notes
- Soft caramels work best to ensure they melt well without hardening.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Do not overmix dough to keep cookies tender and soft.
- Chilling dough before baking can help prevent excessive spreading.
- Substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
- For the chocolate drizzle, coconut oil can help create a glossy finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
