Turtle Shortbread Cookies (Cookie Exchange Quantity)

Prep 1 hr 20 min
Total 1 hr 50 min
Servings 72

Chocolate, caramel and nuts create the classic turtle flavors that are anything but slow in leaving a serving tray. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated May 11, 2005

Make with

Gold Medal Flour

Ingredients

1 1/2

cups butter or stick margarine, softened

1/2

cup sugar

teaspoon almond extract

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon salt

caramels

bag (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

teaspoons shortening

cup chopped pecans

dozen pecan halves

Steps

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1

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix butter, sugar and almond extract. Stir in flour and salt. (If dough is crumbly, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons additional softened butter or stick margarine.)
2

Divide dough into 12 equal parts. Roll each part into 1/4-inch thick circle. (If dough is sticky, chill about 15 minutes.) Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place wedges 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3

Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat caramels over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until melted. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 1 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway through heating time, until melted and thin enough to drizzle.
4

Dip 2 straight edges of each cookie into melted caramel, then into chopped pecans. (If caramel thickens, add up to 1 teaspoon water and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramel softens.)
5

Place a dot of melted chocolate on top of each cookie; place pecan half on chocolate. Drizzle remaining chocolate on tops of cookies.

Expert Tips

Shortbread comes from Scotland and was originally made as a large round cake with notched “spokes” radiating from the center to symbolize the rays of the sun. In the eighteenth century, the triangular wedges were called “petticoat tails.”
Milk chocolate chips can be used for the semisweet chocolate chips.
Use vanilla for the almond extract for a slightly different flavor.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie

Calories: 110
Calories from Fat: 60

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 7g; 11%
Saturated Fat 3g 14% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 10mg; 3%
Sodium: 50mg; 2%
Potassium: 35mg; 1%
Total Carbohydrate: 11g; 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 4g
Protein: 1g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 2%; 2%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 0%; 0%
Iron: 2%; 2%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;