Chocolate Turtle Pecan Cookies

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light butter
• 2 ounces fat free cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons nonfat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg , slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• 5 caramels, unwrapped
• 5 teaspoons evaporated skim milk

Recipe

• 1 to make the cookies: in a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
• 2 in a large bowl, beat together the sugar, light butter, fat-free cream cheese, 1 egg , nonfat milk, and vanilla. add the flour mixture and blend well. chill dough at least 30 minutes, or until firm enough to handle.
• 3 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f. lightly coat two baking sheets with nonstick vegetable-oil spray. shape the dough into 1-inch balls. dip each ball into the remaining egg and roll in pecans to coat. place on prepared baking sheet and gently flatten.
• 4 bake 10 to 12 minutes. let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and then carefully remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• 5 to make the caramel topping: in a small saucepan, combine caramels and evaporated skim milk. cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. drizzle caramel topping over cooled cookies.