Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Chocolate-Almond Butter Turtles

Seriously. Don't these sweet little things look like sweet morsels of pure magic?

Credit for these sweet little treats goes to Christine Southard of Noble, Oklahoma, who will be attending the Bake-Off next week!

Chocolate-Almond Butter Turtles

• Prep Time: 30 Min
• Total Time: 1 Hr 10 Min
• Makes: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 2/3 cup crunchy almond butter
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
• 24 caramels, unwrapped
• 24 milk or dark chocolate-covered almonds

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften.
2. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add almond butter and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon, or knead with hands until well blended. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once, until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon and spread 1 teaspoon chocolate on each cookie.
4. In another small microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and 1 1/2 teaspoons water uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring once, until caramels can be stirred smooth. Spoon about 1 teaspoon caramel in center of each cookie; top with almond. Store covered.

Note: the Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Check out my coverage of the 45th and 46th Bake-Off, and follow the recipes posted so far by clicking the bakeoff tag below.