These cookies are basically a brownie in cookie form. They’re also rolled in chopped pecans, filled with salted caramel, and topped with melted chocolate. It’s basically everything I love packed into a tiny cookie.
I am actually not the biggest sweets person. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE chocolate and all desserts. But I’m very happy just consuming a few bites of dessert at a time. Therefore, it takes me awhile to get through the stuff I bake. I also hate overly sweetened desserts. The older I get, the more I appreciate the bitterness of dark chocolate.
Most of the desserts I make I gave away to friends. I greatly enjoy the process of baking and don’t want to waste food. Luckily I have friends that will consume everything I give them, even if it was a messed up test batch.
But despite not really liking sweets or sugar, I love caramel. It’s so loaded with sugar but it takes a lot of willpower for me to not eat large amounts of caramel (toffee too). I don’t know what it is but I find it so addicting.
Luckily, these cookies were a gift and didn’t stick around my apartment for long. Thank god or else I would’ve finished them all.
So if you’re looking for a small cookie that’s got it all: chocolate, nuts, and caramel, search no further. These little guys are a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Salted Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, separated
- 2 tbs milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 4 oz chocolate, chopped
Salted Caramel
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tbs salted butter, room temperature, cut up into 6 pieces
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to high speed and add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour until just incorporated.
- Scoop into tablespoon sized balls and place on baking sheet. Cover and place baking sheet in the fridge and chill for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Toast the chopped pecans in a skillet on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until fragrant. Stir occasionally while toasting. Place in a small bowl.
- Place the egg white in a small bowl.
- With the top of a wooden spoon, chapstick cap*, or your thumb, make little holes in each ball of cookie dough. Make the hole about halfway deep.
- Dip the outside of the dough ball into the egg white, then dip it in the pecans. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until sides of cookie have set.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack.
Caramel
- Have all of your ingredients ready before you begin or else it will be a mess.
- Melt the sugar in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. When it is fully melted and begins to turn an amber color, add the butter. It will start bubbling. Continue to stir constantly.
- When butter is completely melted, slowly pour in the heavy cream. It will continue to bubble a lot. Let boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. Keep stirring. Add the salt. Let cool and thicken slightly. Spoon into the holes of the thumbprint cookies.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between each interval.
- Using a fork or squeeze bottle, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Place cookies in the fridge so chocolate can set.
