Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies

I'm in a very "cookie baking" place right now. Things are a bit hectic at work, and I think the precision of measuring and mixing and baking cookies is almost soothing and mellows me out. Or it could just be because cookies are freakin' good. Either way as long as it's comforting for me to do, and as long as my friends and co-workers (and my hubby's friends and co-workers, and pretty soon random people on the street) are willing guinea pigs for my creations, a-cookie bakin' I will do! One of my favorite things to do is to take the flavors or components of a dessert and make a cookie version of it, and here's my interpretation of a turtle candy. It's a buttery thumbprint cookie filled with caramel and pecans and drizzled with melted chocolate. Note this makes a LOT of cookies, at least 4 dozen, so you may want to cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TURTLE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

For cookie dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping:

1 (14oz) bag of individual caramel candies, unwrapped

2 tablespoons water

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons Crisco shortening

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in fridge until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a medium saucepan combine caramel candies and water over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until caramel is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to low.

4. To prepare cookies - take heaping teaspoons of chilled cookie dough and form loosely into balls. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Return remaining dough to fridge to stay chilled until ready for the next batch. Using a small spoon or your fingertip, make an indentation in the middle of each cookie and spoon 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce into each indentation. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

5. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

6. In a small bowl combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, stopping to stir once halfway thru. Drizzle chocolate across surface of cookies and allow to cool until chocolate is set.