Classic chocolate cookies are stuffed with chewy caramel and dipped in pecans in these cookies that will remind you of turtle candies.
Lately, I’ve been asking my husband and kids what they want for upcoming dinners. I fully expected the girls to yell out “mac and cheese” or “spaghetti and meatballs” or any other typical kid-friendly food. So I almost fell off my chair last week when my older daughter, Eclair, asked for “the shrimp pasta” AKA my seafood scampi. Little Nutmeg requested carnitas tacos and pork milanese. I quickly added all three to last week’s rotation. When I asked for dessert requests, my husband quickly chimed in by requesting these caramel-filled chocolate cookies. I don’t think I’ve made them in 10 years, but they’ve always been a favorite, so I put my sous chefs to work over the weekend and together we cranked out a big batch.
As a kid, I always loved turtle candies: gooey caramel wrapped in chocolate and dipped in pecans. These chocolate cookies remind me of those little treats. A simple chocolate cookie dough is wrapped around a chewy caramel (I used Rolo). Dip them in some chopped pecans (or don’t if you’re like Eclair). The result: deliciousness! This makes about 4 dozen, so plenty to share.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2¼ cups flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup chopped pecans, optional
- 48 chocolate-covered caramel candies, such as Rolo
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy Gradually add in the sugar and brown sugar until well mixed. Beat in the eggs.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the vanilla. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
- To make the cookies, line baking sheets with parchment. Preheat oven to 375F.
- Take one caramel candy and about 1 tablespoon of the dough. Wrap the dough around the caramel, covering it completely. Dip one side in the pecans, if using. Place on baking sheet, nut-side up. Space cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for about 9 minutes and let cool on parchment so the caramel doesn't ooze out.
Oh, they look so goooood! Mac and cheese and spaghetti with meatballs are regular requests around here too, but sometimes I get lucky with zucchini pancakes and fish with mashed potatoes. 🙂