It’s official!

The Christmas tree is up, my holiday shopping is finished, and the cookie baking is in full force.

I’m definitely ready for Christmas! And every Christmas cookie spread needs something chocolate-y. This is my spin on Turtle cookies! Chocolate, caramel, pecan- what could make your cookie spread better?

A buttery chocolate cookie oozing with caramel. The nutty crunch of pecans and smooth, rich caramel make these chocolate cookies incredibly addicting.

And who doesn’t love a surprise center!? Especially one this delicious.

Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Pecan Cookies:
Ingredients: (makes 26)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder (I used 1/2 cup regular cocoa powder and 1/4 cup Hershey’s dark)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
26 caramel candies, unwrapped

Caramel Pecan Topping:
One 13 oz bag of caramel candies, unwrapped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until all of the dry ingredients are moistened, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Chill for an least one hour. Once chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon balls and place a caramel candie into each ball of dough. Roll back into a ball so the caramel is in the center. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wax paper (NOT a cooling rack) to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the caramel topping by combining the caramel candies and heavy cream in a saucepan. Stir constantly until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle the chopped pecans over each cookie. Enjoy!