Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 25 to 30 caramels (cut in half, rolled into balls)
• Finely chopped pecans

Directions

• Directions
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until well-mixed. Stir in flour and baking powder. (If kitchen is warm, refrigerate dough for a few minutes; dough should be firm enough to roll easily.) Shape scant teaspoonful of dough into balls about the size of the marble. Place on baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies, flatten slightly.
• Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• Melt chocolate chips with shortening in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Remove from heat.
• Flatten caramel halves so they are the same diameter as the cookie. Put one caramel half on top of each cookie. (If necessary, use a dab of chocolate as “glue” to help caramel adhere to cookie.) Using a small metal spatula, spread melted chocolate thinly over top and sides of caramel and cookie to cover. Press chopped pecans onto tops of cookies. Let stand on a wire rack until chocolate firms (refrigerate if desired) about 20 minutes. Put into individual paper wrappers. Store in a cookie tin with a piece of wax paper between each layer.