New Christmas Cookie Recipe

Due to the impending birth of our fourth child... Christmas baking was going to be non-existent.  However, I did want to make some goodies for some family gifts, and thought I would try this new recipe I pinned a while back.  Verdict?  We loved them!  They are supposed to have chocolate drizzled on them, and I was in a hurry, so that part didn't happen.  And, I was a little too generous with some of the caramel causing some over flowage... 

But, the recipe was super simple - you should add this to your Christmas baking! 


Chocolatey Caramel Thumbprint Cookie Recipe:
Recipe from HERE

1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup(3 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces

1 teaspoon shortening (I don't use)

1. Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls. Cover and chill egg white until needed. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.

2. In another bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until well combined. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a small saucepan heat and stir caramels and whipping cream over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

4. Slightly beat reserved egg white. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in egg white, then in pecans to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are firm. If cookie centers puff during baking, repress with your thumb. Spoon melted caramel mixture into indentations of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. (If necessary, reheat caramel mixture to keep it spoonable.)

6. In another saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over tops of cookies.* Let stand until chocolate is set. Makes 36 cookies


**  My recipe did not make 36 cookies - maybe 20 something?