German Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

I must admit, I never was a coconut fan growing up. I think I always equated coconut with sunscreen, and that is not "good eats" as Alton Brown would say. So I missed out on what my husband would call the glorious splendor of German Chocolate cake. It's his favorite, and he requests one every year for his birthday. This is a cookie version of that wonderous cake.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

Topping:
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 ½ cups flaked sweetened coconut
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped

Cookie dough:
1 (18.25 ounce) package Devils Food chocolate cake mix
½ cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, milk, 1/2 cup butter, vanilla and egg yolks. Blend well. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 13 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir frequently. Stir in coconut and pecans. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

3. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the topping mixture and set aside. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, melted butter and remaining topping mixture. Stir by hand until thoroughly moistened. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips. Cover and chill in fridge for 1 hour. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Using your finger or a spoon, make an indention in center of each ball. Fill each indention with 1/2 teaspoon of reserved coconut pecan topping.

4. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.