Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Turtle Shortbread Cookies

DAY 8: Turtle Shortbread Cookies

Thin shortbread cookies topped with caramel, chocolate, and pecans. Just like Turtle Candies, but with a buttery cookie crunch.

I used melted Kraft Caramel Bits when I made these, but if you want to get extra fancy, you can make a homemade caramel layer:

Easy Homemade Caramels

RECIPE:

Turtle Shortbread Cookies

Servings: About 5 dozen
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Shortbread Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
2 ¼ cups flour

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Make sure that butter is very soft, but not melted. Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer for a full 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour, mixing well.

Lightly sprinkle flour on a pastry board or mat. Gently roll dough into a rectangle ¼” thick. Cut dough into 1” strips and then into 2” wide rectangles.

Use a thin metal spatula to transfer unbaked cookies onto baking sheets, leaving a small space between cookies. Bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes. Do not brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Caramel Topping:
1 (11 oz) pkg Kraft Caramel Bits (or unwrap 1 pkg of Kraft caramels)
¼ cup heavy cream

Place caramel bits in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Pour cream over caramels. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute; stir. Repeat until caramels are completely melted, about 4-5 minutes. Let caramel cool slightly, and then pour into a Ziploc bag. Cool until caramel in still slightly warm, but not runny. Snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze a small amount of caramel onto each shortbread cookie.

Chocolate and Pecan Toppings:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
About 2 cups whole pecans (pick through ahead of time to find intact halves)

Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a 1-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until chocolate is completely melted and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Let chocolate cool slightly, and then pour into a Ziploc bag. Cool until chocolate in still slightly warm, but not runny. Snip off a very small corner of the bag and squeeze a small amount of chocolate over the caramel on each shortbread cookie. Top with a pecan half while the chocolate is still warm.

Let caramel and chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

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