Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Cookie Question??

I love living in a big city, I love my career at a huge corporation, I love living in a Condo across the street from the Metro, I love being DINKs (Double Income No Kids) and I love all of my single party friends.

But this recipe made me want to live in a little small town community with a bunch of stay at home moms and little old ladies so that I could organize a Christmas cookie exchange and make dozens of batches of these cookies for mass distribution. The end product was so cute and oh so delicious. They were begging to be made in bulk!

And maybe I am being close minded. Cookie exchanges can happen anywhere I suppose. Chime in if you have pulled one off with a bunch of young single/no kid professionals. Anyone?

Turtle Thumbprints
Adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients

  • 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 chewy caramels, unwrapped (like Werther's)
  • 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 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. 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. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a small saucepan heat and stir caramels, vanilla 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 the back of a 1/2 teaspoon round measuring spoon, 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 (which they most likely will), repress with your measuring spoon. Spoon melted caramel mixture into indentations of cookies using a teaspoon.

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 using a fork and a quick back and forth motion as the chocolate drips.

Let stand until chocolate is set. Makes 36 cookies.

31 comments:

Sherrie said...

Those look awesome. TFS

Bethie said...

Beautiful and BOOKMARKED!!!

christenandjames said...

Actually the Baton Rouge board of the Nest had a get together last Christmas that was a Christmas cookie and ornament exchange. We brought half a dozen cookies for each person attending and the recipe. We had drinks, appetizers, it was a lot of fun!

Lindakimy said...

I, for one, DID have cookie exchanges before I had kids. After I had kids I didn't have the time or the energy for it...getting cookies baked at all was miracle enough.

If you DO decide to have an exchange invite any young moms you know and provide a teenager to watch the kids (and provide them with kid-friendly cookies to eat) while the moms mingle and exchange. You will be adored and probably proclaimed as GODDESS.

Two Girls Cooking said...

These look sooo good! I might have to borrow your recipe for my family's cookie exchange! :)

Anonymous said...

Good Lord, these look incredibly delicious!

Jade said...

Seriously, I am drooling!! These look so good.

teresa said...

oh my goodness, if i made these, i wouldn't be sharing with your kids, i can tell you that!

i think you could totally pull it off. i've been cooking and baking long before i had kids, and if you just find the right people to do it with, you could have a great cookie exchange!

Tasty Eats At Home said...

Oh. My. God. These look so amazing.

megan said...

I never had any desire to make thumbprints until I saw your pictures. Now these are on my list of Christmas cookies for this year. I can't wait to try them!

And no, I've never had a cookie exchange without young professionals. But I am a young professional, and I would definitely exchange cookies :)

Me and My Pink Mixer said...

Your cookies look fabulous! Definitely making these for the holidays this year!!

Emily said...

I can't wait to try these, they look absolutely amazing!

Kerstin said...

Mmmm, these look fantastic, especially with that caramel filling! I would like to do a cookie exchange too! I bet local food bloggers would be interested :)

elly said...

These look incredible! I would love to make these, but I think I need to find the patience first. :)

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

Delicious... Your cookies look fantastic! I agree that local bloggers would probably be good candidates for a cookie swap. It's kind of like the cupcake camps that have been popping up in big cities (www.cupcakecamp.com)

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

Oops... in my last comment, I said cupcakecamp.com, but it's actually cupcakecamp.org

Anonymous said...

Definitely -- invite some of your friends for a Cookie Swap (they dont' have to be super bakers, just like to have fun/bake something). Just decide on how many cookies they should make (depends on how many people come to the swap). Everyone can bring a Tupperware to pack up some of everyone's cookies, after you all spend some time eating, talking etc. You can even have some fun contests --- like everyone can vote for best cookie, prettiest one etc. We usually cut up some of the cookies (before going to the party) so people can snack on everyone's cookies. Otherwise it can become sugar overload. Fun to give out silly prizes to the winners. We also have some non-sugar snacks like cheese and crackers, veggies, seltzer. Maybe even have a Holiday Grab-bag/Yankee Swap (set a price limit). Hmmm, maybe I'll make your recipe for my cookie swap-- looks great. Great blog.

Debbie said...

Those look amazing....I think I could put away at least a dozen!!!

Corinne said...

These are added to my list!

As a grad student, the only thing that can keep my classmates and I sane come the end of fall semester is a good Christmas cookie exchange party. You're not alone!

Kathy - Cooking On the Side said...

If I lived near you, I'd be very happy to exchange cookies - these look fantastic!

Peasblog said...

anyone can have a cookie exchange.
kids or no kids. a few bottles of wine and some good friends and you're set.
those look GORGEOUS I might have to try those with my sea salt caramels

Nanita said...

Уау....фантастично!Поздрави!

Pierce Household said...

These look incredible! I have hosted an annual cookie swap for the last seven years and we have quite the variety of people. Business professionals, stay-at-home moms, some have children some don't, singles, grandmas, and a wide variety of ages. Your common link is your love for the holidays and baking. There are a few ladies that attend that this is the only time of the year we get together. It is a blast!

gaga said...

Those look heavenly! Thank goodness I'm terrible at baking so I won't try to make them, otherwise, these would go straight from the oven to my mouth and would NOT get shared with anyone!

Spryte said...

I would definitely get Best Mom on the Planet Award from my daughter if I made these!!!

Jen said...

These look awesome! I am going to give them a try this Christmas.

Anonymous said...

I received these cookies as a gift from my DINK (first time I heard this!) daughter, Jennifer. They are beautiful and so delicious.

Anonymous said...

I forgot to mention in my last comment that your photos are really beautiful as well.

Anonymous said...

Just had to tell you I made these cookies for Christmas and they were a big hit! Thanks so much!
Cheryl

Nicole @ OrWhateverYouDo said...

Thanks for posting these! I made these last year, except the recipe I had called for hazelnuts. I lost it though, and I'm glad to find it again! Great pictures too!

Betty said...

January 10,2012
These cookies were the best cookies we had this Christmas!!