Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Do you ever have plans, where you think “I’m going to go home and make those cookies!” You’re sure you have all the ingredients, you’re sure you read through the recipe and there are no twists and turns. Well, this recipe is one that has foiled me a couple of times. I had planned to make this many times for the Friday cookies, but it’s not worked out until now. The first time, I didn’t have caramel bits, so I picked those up. Then I was starting to make the recipe and had missed the “refrigerate overnight” part. This time I was dedicated to making this a success.

These are somewhat like chocolate chip cookies (my husband’s favorite) with the addition of mix-ins to make them chocolate turtle cookies. Ok, I’ll be honest: I didn’t have 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate. I used bittersweet and it was ok. How could I be out of unsweetened chocolate? Aargh! I wasn’t about to bail on these cookies again and I wasn’t going to go to the store at 8:30 pm, so I just made it work. The dough is somewhat greasy, so I can see why the dough needs lots of time to chill. I was worried that I had added to much butter, but I was ok.

After refrigerating overnight, these cookies bake up perfectly. I made sure not to bake them too long so that they are a bit soft/gooey. These are very decadent. They are perhaps a bit sweeter due to using bittersweet rather than unsweetened chocolate, but I don’t think it’s too sweet. They are rich and I’m glad I didn’t make them too big, because there are a lot of flavors in each bite.

14.5 ounces flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
7.5 ounces brown sugar
6 ounces sugar
1 cup butter, melted & cooled
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped & toasted
11 ounce bag caramel bits

In large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat together the brown sugar, sugar, and butter until well combined. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla, stirring until well combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Stir in melted chocolate, then the chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel bits. Shape dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Or you can freeze the dough balls and then store them in the freezer in a resealable bag.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Bake cookies for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and look slightly undercooked, turning pans halfway through baking. (Bake frozen cookies 17-22 minutes.) Allow the cookies to cool a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Snappy Gourmet