#3825 - Turtle Pecan Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
12oz. Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 TBSP Crisco shortening
30 Kraft caramels (unwraped and each cut in half; caramels MUST be fresh)
chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the unwrapped/halved caramels on a cookie sheet and set them on TOP of the oven (so they will soften a bit). In a mixer add butter and brown sugar--beat. Add vanilla and baking powder--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes, then scoop a teaspoonful of dough at a time and roll it into a 1" ball. Place the dough balls on greased cookie sheets 2" apart. Use the back of a spoon to slightly flatten each dough ball. Bake at 325 degrees 13-15 minutes. Place cookies on paper towels and cool them completely. In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate chips and Crisco--microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Use your fingers to flatten one caramel half to almost the same size as one of the cooled cookies. Place a dab of melted chocolate in the center/top of the cookie and place the flattened caramel on top of the cookie. Place the cookie on wax paper. Use a small spoonful of melted chocolate and spread it so it covers the top and sides of the cookie. Sprinkle some chopped pecans over the melted chocolate on the cookie and LIGHTLY press the chopped pecans into the melted chocolate. Repeat with all cookies, caramels and melted chocolate. Cool completely.