Christmas Baking....

That's right, I've started my Christmas baking already. My mom always makes a variety of cookies at Christmas and gives them to neighbors, friends, etc...It's something I want to do and try to do - on a much smaller scale. But if I'm going to I need to get a good head start on the craziness of the holidays. So yesterday I made the dough for two different cookies and today I made my first batch of Christmas cookies. Of course my house, isn't clean, but a girl can only do so much!

These cookies are so good I had to share the recipe with them. I don't think the picture does them justice, but they consist of a yummy chocolate dough wrapped around an oh-so-irresistible Rollo lightly dipped in a chopped pecan sugar mixture (hence the white flaky things on top).

Caramel filled Chocolate Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 c. unsweetended cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
48 Rolo caramels (how can you resist cookies with Rolos in them?)

1 T sugar
Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda -mix well. In large beat sugar, brown sugar, and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans (I don't add them because Matt and I don't like nuts in cookies). Allow dough to chill. For each cookie, with floured hands, (oops forgot that part) shape about 1 Tbsp of dough around caramel candy, covering completely.

In a small combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 T sugar. Press one side of each cookie into the pecan mixture and place, nut side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until set and slightly cracked.Cool 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheets and cool completely.

I first made them many years ago after a coworker of mine brought them into work. They were so good, and knowing that Matt loves anything caramel, I had to make them. But there was something in the directions that I added in bold that wasn't on the original recipe - Allow dough to chill. I didn't do this and basically spent an hour trying to make a dozen cookies - I had to scrape the dough off my hands it wouldn't stick to the caramel(I also used Kraft caramels and not Rolos, big mistake). It was so frustrating that I ended up throwing away half the dough. Gasp! So chilling the dough is an important part. Ok, sorry I have to make everything into a story. Again, I'll leave you with one final thing. Ella decided not to nap and therefore was helping me with the cookies. Her job was unwrapping the rolos and the she had to keep reaching to the back of the counter....

Is that not the cutest butt ever! Definite blackmail picture.