For the Dough:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (sift so it isn’t lumpy)
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white (maybe more), beaten with a fork until foamy
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In an electric mixer, cream the butter, then add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and flour. Mix well. Chill while making the filling.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients.
Have the beaten egg white and the pecans in separate medium bowls.
Form pieces of dough into 1 inch balls. Drop each ball into the egg white to coat. Then roll in the pecans. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave an inch between cookies. Press your thumb into each ball to make an indentation. Fill it with some of the filling.
Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies should be firm.