Thumbprint Turtle Cookies {Whole Wheat & Sugar Free}

It’s Chocolate Party time!!!

You guys I was anxious about this month’s Chocolate Party.  For those of you who don’t know, the Chocolate Party is an AWESOME group of bloggers who make recipes each month based off of a chosen ingredient and chocolate.  Nothing can be wrong with that, right?!

Well, the chosen ingredient this month was caramel.  Can I hear the buzzer please?

Traditional caramel is made by melting sugar until it forms a gooey delicious ooze.  Then you can add butter and cream to it to make a sauce.  Well, BIG problem for a no-sugar gal like me, right?

I thought I was out for this month and pretty frustrated that I couldn’t figure out how to do this “my way”.

Fear no more, sugar free friends because awesomeness has prevailed and we can participate, put on our party shoes and dance the night away in this month’s Chocolate Party because I made a refined sugar-free caramel!!!

And then I did this….
Yep, that’s better!

Thumbprint Turtle Cookies {Whole Wheat and Sugar Free}
1 c whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat)
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c honey
1 large egg, separated
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c pecans, chopped fine

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and honey until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350.

Whisk egg whites in bowl with 1 tbsp water, until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using 1/4-teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, about 12 minutes.

Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
1/2 c dark amber agave nectar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c heavy cream

In a small sauce pan, bring the agave nectar to a low boil.  Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the butter and let the butter melt into the agave.  Add the cream, and stir well.  Let the caramel cook for another 2-3 minutes then remove from heat and cool.  Transfer to a heat-safe container and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Once cookies are cooked, spoon the caramel into the well of the cookie (it will  be thinner than a traditional caramel).

Optional: drizzle melted dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) over the cookies and cool completely.