Fresh Milled Flour Turtle Cookies - Lewis Acres Homestead

Fresh milled flour turtle cookie with drizzled caramel on top and flaky sea salt.

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Small bowl
A 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (#30 scoop)
Baking sheets
Wire cooling rack
Parchment paper

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter softened (113g)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
3/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed (150g)
1/2 cup lard (melted) You can substitute any other oil. (about 100 to 105g, depending on the fat you use)
2 large eggs (about 100g)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (6g)
1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
2 1/8 cups fresh milled soft white wheat flour (275g)
2 cups chocolate chips (340g)
1 cup chopped pecans (113g)
1/4 cup salted caramel (for drizzling on top)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour in the melted lard (or oil) and mix until combined. Let the lard cool for a few minutes after melting so it's warm, not hot. Hot fat will melt the butter you just creamed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda and salt with the fresh milled flour so they're evenly spread through the flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined and no dry streaks of flour are left. Be careful not to overmix, or your cookies can turn out tough.
Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans with a spatula until they're spread evenly through the dough. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (a #30 scoop) to portion the dough into balls. Place them on the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. About 12 cookies fit on a standard baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown. The centers will still look a little soft, and that's what you want. They'll finish setting as they cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with salted caramel after the cookies have cooled. Top with flaky sea sat (optional) and enjoy!

Nutrition