These are a few of my favorite things....

What's better than cookies and bread?

Here, I made my own.

My mom has an annual Cookie Exchange, and I think this year we realized she had been doing it for 23 or 24 years. How cool is that?! We're thinking of what we'll have to do for the big 2-5. I've been on a baking kick recently (whether that's a good or bad thing, you can decide), so I wanted to try something different. I saw these yummy Turtle Cookies and decided to give them a shot. I honestly thought it was going to be a lot harder than it actually was, so I ended up making them twice this Christmas for two different parties. Definitely give them a try!

As for the recipe, I can't take credit for any of it because I didn't change anything, but here it is:

Cookie:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white

2 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped

Caramel Filling:

14 soft caramel candies

3 T. heavy cream

Prepare the Cookies:  
1.  Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

2.  With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.

3.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

4.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in another bowl.  Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

Prepare the Caramel Filling:  
6.  Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7.  Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations.  Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.