Peanut Butter and Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Christmas tree is up. Same lot on Victory Drive, same Frank, same tree. This year he said, "Mrs. Henderson, I picked this one special. It's got a bald spot on the left side but you put that against the wall and nobody knows." I said, "Frank, all the best things have a bald spot somewhere. That tree is perfect." I tipped him twelve dollars because prices have gone up and because Frank has never given me a bad tree in twenty-one years and loyalty should be rewarded.

The ornaments went on Saturday. Same ritual: tissue paper off, memory on. Earl Jr.'s glass ball from 1977. Patricia's one-winged angel from second grade. Michael's silver bell in the center. Every year I unwrap that bell and I hold it and it catches the light and for a moment Michael is nineteen, home from somewhere, smelling like aftershave, asking what's for dinner. The bell rings when I place it. I don't know if it's the tree shifting or something else. I don't ask.

I started my Christmas baking. Butter cookies — the kind you press through the cookie press into shapes that are supposed to be wreaths and trees but mostly look like blobs. They taste the same regardless of shape. Peanut butter blossoms — peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's Kiss pressed into the center, which is the only recipe where Hershey's chocolate is acceptable and I stand by that. And the first batch of my caramel cake, which is not a Christmas cookie but a Christmas cake and is the reason I start baking in December. Caramel cake has three layers of yellow cake and a caramel icing that you make by cooking sugar until it's dark amber and then adding butter and cream and pouring it over the cake before it sets. It is the most dangerous recipe I make — hot caramel is lava, and I have a burn scar on my left wrist from 2006 to prove it. But the cake is worth the scar. Everything in this kitchen is worth its cost.

Gladys called and asked what I'm bringing to the Christmas party at church. I said, "Coconut cake and caramel cake." She said, "I'm bringing red velvet." I said, "Gladys, you bring whatever you want. I will bring what I bring. The congregation will eat. Everyone is happy." She said, "My red velvet is better than your coconut cake." I said, "Gladys, I love you, but you are living in a fantasy." She hung up. She'll call back tomorrow. She always does.

Now go on and feed somebody.

I mentioned the peanut butter blossoms, and I stand by them, but some years the congregation needs something with a little more going on—something that nods to the caramel I’ve already got simmering on the stove for the cake. These peanut butter and chocolate turtle cookies split the difference: they’ve got the peanut butter base I’ve been making for decades, the chocolate that makes Gladys quiet for at least thirty seconds, and a caramel drizzle that will remind you why I start baking in December in the first place. Make them alongside the blossoms. The tray deserves both.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes (plus cooling) | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup soft caramel candies (about 18 pieces), unwrapped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional but recommended)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and stir until just combined—do not overmix.
Fold in chocolate and pecans. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans, reserving the rest for topping.
Portion and bake. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently press the center of each cookie down with your thumb or the back of a spoon to create a shallow well. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look just barely done. Do not overbake.
Cool on the pan. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes—they will firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before drizzling.
Make the caramel drizzle. Combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat immediately. Watch this carefully—caramel moves fast and it is hot.
Finish the cookies. Using a spoon or a small piping bag, drizzle the warm caramel over the cooled cookies. Scatter the remaining chopped pecans over the top and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt if using. Allow the caramel to set for at least 10 minutes before stacking or storing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Turtle Cookies — The Cookie That Earns Its Place on the Tray