Recipe - 1991 1st Place Caramel Pecan Treasures

1 cup Butter, softened
Three fourths cup Lightly packed light
Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Three fourths cup Allpurpose flour
One half teaspoon Baking powder
12 ounce Semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Vegetable shortening
25 to 30 caramels, cut in
Half, rolled into balls
Finely chopped pecans

Preparation time: 50 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.

2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until wellmixed.
Stir in flour and baking powder. (If kitchen is warm, refrigerate dough for
a few minutes; dough should be firm enough to roll easily.) Shape scant
teaspoonsful of dough into balls about the size of a marble. Place on
baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Flatten slightly.

3. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

4. Melt chocolate chips with shortening in top of double boiler set over
simmering water. Remove from heat.

5. Flatten caramel halves so they are the same diameter as the cookie. Put
one caramel half on top of each cookie. (If necessary, use a dab of
chocolate as "glue" to help caramel adhere to cookie.) Using a small metal
spatula, spread melted chocolate thinly over top and sides of caramel and
cookie to cover. Press chopped pecans onto tops of cookies. Let stand on a
wire rack until chocolate firms (refrigerate if desired), about 20 minutes.
Put into individual paper wrappers. Store in a cookie tin with a piece of
wax paper between each layer.

The firstplace winner of the Tribune's 1991 Holiday Cookie Contest is
Elaine Rysner. She prefers to make the cookies small about the diameter
of a quarter. Use highquality caramels and chocolate for the best cookies.
from the Chicago Tribune fourth annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest
December 5, 1991
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V3 #339

From: Linda Place placel@worldnet.att.net

Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 11:24:32 +0000