Chocolate Twix Surprise Cookies

It's been too long since we've had a surprise cookie, and they're so darn fun! These are rich chocolate cookies with a little piece of Twix candy bar tucked inside - surprise!
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
6 (2-ounce) packages chocolate-caramel cookie bars (Twix), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 T sugar
2 (2-ounce) vanilla bark coating squares, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone.

2. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla, beating until blended after each addition.

3. Combine flour, cocoa, and soda; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Shape 1 T dough around each candy piece, covering completely, to form balls. Try to keep the Twix near the top of the ball, just under dough with more dough underneath it so it doesn't goo out the bottom while cooking.

4. Combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 T sugar. Gently press the top of each ball into pecan mixture. Place balls, pecan sides up, 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

5. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

6. Optional: melt coating squares in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Makes about 3 dozen

Recipe from Southern Living, March 2002