Recipe—Butter Pecan Thumbprint Cookies with a White Chocolate Carmel Center

We are on Day 2 of 5 of my Christmas Cookie Week! That’s right, this week I will be posting 5 of my favorite Christmas Cookie recipes!

This is probably my most requested holiday cookies and definitely one of my faves. If this cookie is in my house, I will eat it. All self control goes out the window. This is a little more advanced than some of my other cookie recipes just because of the number of steps, but they are so worth it! The primary cookie part is not overly sweet, it has a delicious buttery roasted pecan flavor and where the real sweetness comes in is that creamy white chocolate caramel center. These cookies are a total show stopper. They look so pretty and are perfect for the holiday season!

Note: For this recipe I recommend you put the white chocolate caramel sauce into the center of the cookies using a piping bag or Ziploc. I usually just use a quart size Ziploc and cut the corner of the bag off once I have the sauce in it. I find this to be easiest for me and then I can just toss the sticky bag when I am done. However, you can also use a spoon to fill the cookies with the sauce if that is easier for you. The sauce will be very hot on your hands when it comes off the stove which is why I let mine sit to cool for a few minutes before transferring it to the bag. The sauce will harden up as it cools.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c pecans, chopped
2/3 c powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour
3/4 c caramel sauce (the kind you would put on ice cream sundaes)
1 1/2 c white chocolate chips

STEPS

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Stir together the chopped pecans and 1/4 cup of the butter.
• Spread the nut and butter mixture evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Bake the pecans for 10–15 minutes making sure to stir them around half way through.
• Remove the roasted pecans from the oven and allow them to cool.
• While the pecans are cooling, using an electric mixer, beat together the remaining 1 cup of butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until nice and smooth.
• Mix together the flour and roasted butter pecans.
• Gradually add the flour and pecan mixture to the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
• Roll the dough into 1 1/2″ balls and place about 2” apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
• Using your thumb, or something of a similar size (I use the end of a cocktail muddler but the back of a teaspoon would work too) make a deep indentation into the center of the cookie.
• Place the cookies back into the oven to continue baking for another 6­–8 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool.
• In a small sauce pan, heat the caramel sauce over medium low heat.
• Gradually add the white chocolate chips while stirring with a small whisk or fork allowing them to fully melt. Make sure you do not burn the sauce!
• Once the chips are fully melted and your sauce is a nice smooth consistency, remove the pan from the heat.
• Allow the sauce to cool for 5-8 minutes and transfer to a piping bag or Ziploc bag. (If using a Ziplock bag, you will want to cut a small tip off one corner.)
• Pipe the white chocolate caramel sauce into the center of each cookie making sure not to overfill them.
• Allow the cookies to rest for an hour so that the filling will fully set.