Chocolate and Caramel. Seems to be a recurring theme around here. Put the two together and not much can go wrong.
These Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are like mini turtle candies, except the chocolate cookie portion melts in your mouth. It is such a nice contrast to the chewy caramel and crisp pecans. They look great, too.
Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped (about 1/2 cup if you are using block caramel like this that I love)
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening
Directions:
1. Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls.
2. 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.
3. In another bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until well combined.
4. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until easy to handle. (I used the dough right away without any problem.)
5. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
6. In a small saucepan heat and stir caramels with whipping cream over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
7. Slightly beat reserved egg white. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (I used a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop to do this). Roll the balls in egg white, then in pecans to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
8. Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Spoon melted caramel mixture into indentations of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. (If caramel gets too thick to spoon, just reheat it.)
7. In another saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth (I did this in the microwave). Let cool slightly. Transfer the warm chocolate mixture to a resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner of the bag. Drizzle cookies with chocolate mixture. Let stand until chocolate is set.
Makes about 36 cookies.
Recipe from Better Homes And Gardens
San-Francisco-based singer-songwriter and producer TaughtMe has embarked on what he is calling his “Trying Song” project. He plans to release a series of covers of songs originally sung by women.
The first track, “Bluebeard”, you might recognize from the Scottish trio Cocteau Twins. It’s a mesmerizing take on the song. Fairly true to the original, but Blake Henderson’s vocals give it a different edge.
Here is the original.
Check out TaughtMe on his Website, where you can buy the music.
Cheers!
