Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

These turtle thumbprint cookies are perfect for the holidays or any day you want a delicious treat!

Hi folks.

So happy to be here today with a fabulous cookie recipe to share with you. You all know how obsessed I am with all things "turtle". It's really gotten out of hand to be honest. I have far too many turtle recipes in my recipe index. Okay that's a total lie, when can you ever have TOO many turtle recipes. There can never be too many turtles recipes in the world for my taste. I've made oodles of them.

Recipes like:

• Turtle Bark
• Turtle Ice Cream 
• Turtle Banana Split
• Turtle Ice Cream Pie
• Turtle Popcorn
• Turtle Popcorn Gone Wild
• Turtle No Bake Cheesecake in a Jar
• Turtle Brownies
• Turtle Waffles
• Turtle Tailgate Mix
• Turtle Apples
• Turtle Truffles

Yup, told you it was my weakness. I just love turtles. Any excuse to whip up a turtle treat and I'm the first one in the kitchen. I've been known to knock folks down for turtles. I've even stolen them from under the christmas tree. What, don't judge. Who amongst us hasn't polished off a box of turtles in 5 seconds flat. No? Just me then.

When I saw Turtle Thumbprint Cookies on pinterest I just knew I would be making them at some point. Mom On Time Out made them and they just blew my mind. Such gorgeous and tempting turtle treats. They were calling my name, morning...noon...and night.

They are fabulous cookies. I had a little trouble getting mine to keep their shape. I have this tendency to believe in the theory "go big or go home" so I think I made them a bit too big. Next batch will be smaller. I swear sometimes my over the top ways get me into trouble. Regardless of my monster sized cookie problems they sure were tasty. I'll be making them again and again. Then running out to buy monster sized stretchy pants so I can keep up my turtle habit.

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4.43 from 7 votes

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies from cravingsofalunatic.com- These turtle thumbprint cookies are perfect for the holidays or any day you want a delicious treat!

Course Cookie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Author Kim Beauliu

Ingredients

• For the Cookie Portion:
• 1 egg divided
• ½ cup butter room temperature
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans

For the Caramel:

• ¼ cup water
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt

For the Chocolate Drizzle:

• 1 teaspoon shortening
• ½ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

For the Caramel Sauce (make this ahead of time):

• In a medium sized saucepan combine the sugar and ¼ cup warm water and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Bring the syrup to a boil. Now cook this without stirring it until it begins to caramelize (remember do not stir!).
• Gently swirl the pan to help the syrup brown (mini-me swirls beautifully).
• Once the syrup has turned a beautiful amber colour you need to remove the pan from the heat.
• Stir in the cold butter. Let it bubble and swirl the pan.
• Stir in the heavy cream, swirl the pan again.
• Add the vanilla and the salt, stir or whisk this until smooth.
• Let stand until it starts to thicken enough to pour into cookies. While it's thickening and cooling make your cookies.

For the Cookies:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In your stand mixer beat butter for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, continue beating until creamy. Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, beat until well combined.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture gradually, and beat until well combined.
• Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for a couple of hours.
• Chop your pecans finely.
• Beat your egg white.
• Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll the balls in the egg white. Now roll the balls in pecans until well coated.
• Place balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet about one inch apart from each other. Use your thumb to press an indentation into the middle of each cookie, or use something like the blunt end of a honey dripper (they work well for so many things, I use mine all the time for weird things).
• Bake in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The indentation may have disappeared during baking so press it into the cookie again if need be.
• Pour your caramel into the holes of the cookies. Allow it to set and harden a bit.

For the Chocolate Drizzle:

• In your microwave melt the shortening and chocolate together, stirring every 15 to 30 seconds.
• Once it's melted drizzle it over the cookies.
• Serve with a big old Turtle loving smile!

More Great Cookie Recipes from Around the Web:

• Coconut Filled Sandwich Cookies from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Black Forest Sandwich Cookies from Cravings of a Lunatic
• The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies from Pinch of Yum
• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies from Rock Recipes

I love these cookies. I used the caramel recipe I used for my Banana Sticky Buns and just omitted the banana. The recipe is from Fine Cooking. If you have never made banana sticky buns, well, you're just not living. Live large people, indulge once in a while.

Moving on, I hope you love these as much as I do. Cookies are a Christmas tradition. I think we all go cookie crazy around Christmas time. If you are looking for more great cookie recipes I encourage you to stop by the other Sunday Supper participants and see what deliciousness they've baked up for you.

The Sunday Supper Favorite Cookie Exchange Cookies:

• Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by  Cooking Underwriter
• Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies by The Foodie Army Wife
• M & M Cookies by Damn Delicious 
• Snowball Cookies by  Small Wallet Big Appetite 
• Polish Chrusciki (Bow Ties) by Comfy Cuisine 
• Cherry Blossom Cookies by Flour on my Face
• Rosettes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
• Millionaire’s Shortbread by Gotta Get Baked 
• Double-the-Mint Chocolate Kiss Cookies by The Weekend Gourmet 
• Whole Wheat Cereal Cookies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings 
• Chocolate Dipped Potato Chip Shortbread Cookies by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen 
• Scories De Vulcan | Lava Stones Cookies by  The Daily Dish Recipes
• Zimtsterne {Cinamon Stars} #Dairyfree by Galactosemia in PDX
• S’mores Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
• Chocolate Whoppers by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Ricotta Cookies with White Chocolate Glaze Country Girl in the Village
• Turtles by  Dinners, Dishes and Desserts 
• Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies! by  I Run For Wine
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Cookies by The Urban Mrs.
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by  She likes ruffles, he likes truffles 
• Amaretto Almond Biscotti by Noshing With The Nolands
• Mexican Chocolate Cookies by Generation Y Foodie 
• Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti by  Pippis in the Kitchen Again
• Ice Cream Kolaczki by Cookistry
• Amoniaczki by What Smells So Good?
• Fruit and Nut Ice Box Cookies by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Ginger Bourbon Balls by girlichef
• Candy Cane Blossom Cookies by Mommas Meals 
• Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies by Lovely Pantry
• Ninja Bread Men by Diabetic Foodie 
• Peppermint Sugar Cookies by In The Kitchen With KP
• Christmas Crunchies by Magnolia Days
• Cream Cheese Swirled Red Velvet Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Double Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies and Tips on Mailing Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
• Congo Bars by Supper for a Steal 
• Mint Surprise Cookies by  The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies by  Midlife Road Trip
• Spiced Rum Balls by Webicurean
• Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars by Shockingly Delicious
• Oreo Cheesecake Cookies by Baker Street 
• Biscoff Pillow Cookies by by The Messy Baker Blog
• Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies by  Juanita’s Cocina
• Raspberry Thumbprints for my first #SundaySupper!  by Kelly Bakes 
• Tea Biscuits by My Cute Bride
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Mama Mommy Mom 
• Lebanese Butter Cookies for the Christmas Season by The Catholic Foodie
• Almond Joy Macaroons by Cupcakes and Kale Chips 
• Snowball Surprises by Family Foodie

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Toodles and Turtle Smoochies! xx