Turtle Cookies

 photo credit: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com

 Turtle Cookies

original recipe: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2012/01/turtle-cookies.html

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup very good quality cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3 dozen individually wrapped caramel candies

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine thoroughly.
4. Add the flour mixture to the sweetened butter. Mix only enough to incorporate flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Roll into 1 inch balls and dunk one half of the ball into the chopped pecans. 
6. Place on parchment lined baking sheet 3 inches apart with the side dunked in pecans facing upward. Press down slightly. Gently push one caramel candy half way into the center of each cookie ball.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Do not over bake or cookies will be brittle.
8. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool thoroughly. You can drizzle the tops of the cookies with melted chocolate as well but that's completely optional.

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