For Cookies:
1. Beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy.

2. Add in egg mixture and beat for another 3 minutes, until fluffy again. 

3. Add in remainder of ingredients and mix until just incorporated. 

4. Cover and let rest in fridge for 15 minutes.    

5. Preheat oven to 350°F.

6. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll the balls in chopped pecans 2/3 of the way up the ball. With the pecan free side to the top, place on your baking pan. Wet a measuring teaspoon and use it to deeply indent the dough ball. Bake for 12 minutes. If needed, use the teaspoon to deepen the indents when the cookies come out of the oven. 

For Caramel:
1. Pour your sugar in a large sauce pan.

2. Pour water on top of sugar.  Do not mix. 

3. Place on medium heat and watch closely.

4. Place your butter in a heat safe bowl and set aside. If your sugar begins to turn color unevenly, you can stir gently to even the mixture. 

5. After about 5-8 minutes, it will turn a lovely light-amber color. Remove from heat.

6. Stir in vanilla.  

7. Pour over butter and let sit for three minutes. When butter is melted, gently stir the caramel mixture until homogenous. Set aside and let cool. 

8. Once cooled, add caramel to the center of each cookie.