Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
Submitted by Sheryle on December 14, 2004 at 1:22 pm

1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening

Separate egg. Cover and chill egg white until needed. Set egg yolk aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until well mixed. Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap; chill about 2 hours or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper); set aside. In a small saucepan, combine caramels and whipping cream; heat and stir over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Beat the egg white with a fork. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Place pecans in another shallow dish. Shape dough in 1-inch balls. Roll balls in egg white; roll in nuts to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball.

Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Spoon some of the melted caramel mixture into indentation of each cookie. (If necessary, reheat caramel mixture to keep it spoonable.) Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool.

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