Chocolate Caramel Turtle Treasures

I found this recipe on the Internet and had to try it. I mean whats not to like...it has pecans, chocolate, and caramel.

Ingredients
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very finely chopped pecans
1 can (13.4 oz.) Dulce de leche milk caramel *See below for substitution.
16 toasted pecan halves
4 ounces milk chocolate
2 tablespoons light cream

Directions

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Separate egg. Reserve the white, then add yolk, milk and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat well.

Combine the flour, cocoa and salt. Add to the wet mixture and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator and shape into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball in the reserved egg white, then roll in the finely chopped pecans. Place on greased baking sheets. Using your thumb, make a deep indentation in the center of each ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.

Place the Dulce de leche milk caramel in a pastry bag with a star tip and fill the center of each cookie. Place a toasted pecan half on top of each cookie and move to a wire rack to cool. In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave the milk chocolate and light cream on high for 30-60 seconds or until melted. Drizzle over the top of each cookie and let rest until chocolate is set.

Yield: 24 cookies.

**Lyne's notes: If you can't find Dulce de leche, boil a can of Sweetened condensed milk (label removed) in a pot, completely covering the can with water at all times, for four hours. The milk "magically" turns to an amazing caramel. You can do the same thing but put the Sweetened condensed milk in a slow cooker on low for 10 hours.

Instead of putting the caramel in a pastry bag, I use a freezer baggie and cut a hole in the corner. It worked great.