Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
30 caramels, halved and flattened
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Yield: 5 dozen.

Nutritional Facts

2 cookies equals 211 calories, 12 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 17 mg cholesterol, 97 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

2. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

3. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets; flatten slightly.

4. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

5. Place a half-caramel on each cookie. Melt the chocolate chips and shortening; drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with pecans. Let stand until firm. 

Ingredients

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

Instructions:

1. Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls. Cover and chill egg white until needed. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.

2. In another bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until well combined. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a small saucepan heat and stir caramels and whipping cream over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

4. Slightly beat reserved egg white. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in egg white, then in pecans to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are firm. If cookie centers puff during baking, repress with your thumb. Spoon melted caramel mixture into indentations of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. (If necessary, reheat caramel mixture to keep it spoonable.)

6. In another saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over tops of cookies.* Let stand until chocolate is set. Makes 36 cookies.

Quantity:

Makes about 3 dozen.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup very good quality cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
3 dozen individually wrapped caramel candies

Instructions:

1.Preheat oven to 350.

2.In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.

3.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine thoroughly.

4.Add the flour mixture to the sweetened butter. Mix only enough to incorporate flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5.Roll into 1 inch balls and dunk one half of the ball into the chopped pecans. 

6.Place on parchment lined baking sheet 3 inches apart with the side dunked in pecans facing upward. Press down slightly. Gently push one caramel candy half way into the center of each cookie ball.

7.Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Do not over bake or cookies will be brittle.

8.Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool thoroughly. You can drizzle the tops of the cookies with melted chocolate as well but that's completely optional.