Chocolate-Caramel Thumbprints

If you like chocolate drizzled over warm caramel--look no further!

This is the perfect combination of sweet & salty with an added crunch!

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped

3 tablespoons whipping cream

1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1 teaspoon shortening

Recipe:

Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls. Cover and chill egg white until needed. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scarping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a small saucepan cook and stir caramels and cream over low heat until smooth; set aside.

Place pecans in a shallow dish. Lightly beat egg white. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll 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.

Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Spoon melted caramel mixture into the center of each cookie. (If necessary, reheat caramel mixture to keep it melted.) Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

In another small saucepan combine chocolate and shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; cool slightly. Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is set. Makes about 36 cookies.

Enjoy!

Love,

Us.