*Look! I was featured on Rudi’s Organic Bakery Blog, Fresh From the Oven!
Good friends are not something to take for granted. I’m in my late 20′s. I’ve lived in 6 different states, over 10 different homes/apartments, I’ve traveled and lived overseas, and both my husband and I have changed jobs as we have gone back to school. While I would not trade any of these experiences, having such a transient lifestyle makes it difficult to form friendships as easily as living in a dorm across the hall from all women my age.
So, although I am well aware that some friends come and go, I also believe having community is extremely important, and my husband and I try to make an extra effort to form community wherever we’re living.
One of our favorite things to do is have friends over for dinner. I love trying out new recipes and (hopefully) making others feel comfortable and taken care of.
As much as I love hosting, I also love going to other’s homes to enjoy a meal. While I enjoy trying new restaurants and having a full menu to choose my meal from, there’s just something unparalleled to sitting in someone’s home, sharing food at their kitchen table, and eating a meal they have thought out and prepared.
So when friends recently invited us over for dinner, we happily accepted and I was thrilled to have an excuse to bake a new dessert! I’ve been holding onto this recipe on Pinterest, waiting for just the right time to combine the chocolate, caramel and pecans.
These were a hit and this recipe is definitely a keeper! I actually think they would be great without the carmel in the middle and just as “chocolate pecan cookies,” but that gooey carmel center definitely puts them over-the-top! The consistency is a cross between cookies and brownies, and I can tell you that within 24 12 hours, there was not a single cookie left.
Oh, and if you also notice the difference in making friends, there’s an interesting article in the NY Times, Why Is It Hard to Make Friends Over 30?, that hits on this topic.
Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Adapted from Pixelated Crumb
Keywords: bake dessert chocolate pecans nuts Christmas cookie
Ingredients (12 cookies)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cups pecans, chopped into small pieces
- 12 soft caramel candies
- 3 tablespoons light cream
Instructions
1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy with electric mixer on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes.
2. Mix in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or spraying with nonstick spray. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl.
4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls (I used an ice-cream scooper), dip in bowl of egg whites to completely coat dough, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using the back of 1/2-teaspoon measure or your thumb, gently make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, about 12 minutes.
5. Unwrap caramels and place in small pot with cream. Slowly heat mixture, constantly stirring, until caramel has melted (you can also place them in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes). Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
I was recently contacted to try 989, a new sugar-free, all-natural vitamin-enhanced hydration beverage. It comes in several flavors, is zero calories and is free of preservatives.
I was sent the Pomegranate Blueberry, Grape and Punch flavors to try. While the bottles look like they are full of water, the active ingredients are actually stored in the cap. When you’re ready to drink the beverage, you just turn the cap and release the ingredients; the liquid will change colors based on the flavor!
I tried all 3 flavors and was surprised that Grape and Punch were actually my favorite. They were both relatively sweet and a refreshing drink. I personally felt the Pomegranate Blueberry tasted too much like a “vitamin” (not sure how better to describe it) than the actual fruit flavor. These drinks were perfect to have after my husband and I played a long game of tennis in the hot sun!
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