Turtle Cookies

Description
Purchased from Betik Estate in Waxahachie, Texas in 1998. Dated 1922. Indicates this was a $25,000 winner in the Pillsbury Cookoff in 1953.
 * Contributed by Cat's Recipes Y-Group

Ingredients

 * 1½ cups sifted flour
 * ¼ teaspoon baking soda
 * ¼ teaspoon salt
 * ½ cup unsalted butter
 * ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
 * 1 egg
 * 1 egg yolk (reserve white)
 * ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
 * ⅛ teaspoon maple extract
 * 30 pecan halves

Chocolate frosting

 * 2 squares chocolate
 * ¼ cup milk
 * 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

 * 1) Sift together the flour, soda and salt.
 * 2) cream the butter and brown sugar together until well blended.
 * 3) Add egg and egg yolk, beat well.
 * 4) Blend in vanilla and maple extracts.
 * 5) Add dry ingredients, gradually and mix thoroughly.
 * 6) Dough will be soft, chill if desired.
 * 7) Arrange pecan halves in groups of three on baking sheets to resemble head and legs of turtle.
 * 8) Mold dough into balls, dip bottoms unto into unbeaten egg whites and press lightly onto nuts.
 * 9) Use a rounded teaspoonful of dough for each, so tips of nuts will show when cookies are baked.
 * 10) Bake in 350°F oven for 12 minutes.
 * 11) Cool and frost tops generously with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate frosting

 * 1) Combine chocolate, milk and butter in top of double boiler.
 * 2) Heat over boiling water until chocolate melts. Blend until smooth.