On August 28th we celebrated Momma Bert's birthday! Her favorite candy is Turtles, so I decided to give homemade Turtles a whirl and let me tell you...it was the easiest candy ever and they are delicious!! No oven required! Friends and family members can look forward to Turtles at Christmas for the next 50 years!
Turtles for Bert
You will need:
1 - package soft caramels - approx 14 oz.
1 - package semi-sweet chocolate chips - approx 1.5 cups
1 - package pecan halves - approx 1.5 cups
Cooking spray
Measure 1.5 cups of pecans. There should only be a little left in the bag which I ate plain, but you could use and make more turtles.
It is optional, but I prefer to have my pecans toasted. If you'd like to toast your pecans you will have to use the oven. I know! I know! I said no oven required, but it's worth it! Toasted pecans are YUMMY!!! So, preheat that dreaded, God awful oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray.
Spread the pecans out on the cookie sheet in a single layer.
Once the oven is preheated, put the pecans in the oven for approximately 5 minutes, but keep a close eye on them as they can scorch easily!
In the meantime cover another cookie sheet with aluminum and spray with your non-stick cooking spray.
Once your toasted pecans are done and have cooled arrange them on the cookie sheet with 4 to a cluster as seen below.
Like the pecans I used almost all of the package of caramels. I had about 8 leftover and ate 2...they were good. Add a spoonful of water to the caramels and microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between.
You want the caramel to be a gooey consistency that drizzles off the end of your spoon. Don't let it get to runny or it'll be all over your cookie sheet and not on your pretty little turtles.
Drizzle the caramel over the center of the four pecans that form the cluster.
Caramel and pecan yummy goodness! I was tempted to forget the chocolate and dive in, but managed to stay strong.
Now it's time to melt the chocolate. Using 1.5 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl microwave in 30 second increments stirring each time until the chocolate is a smooth consistency. Don't over microwave as it can cook the chocolate and become lumpy and grainy.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the caramel. You may want to use the back of your spoon to smooth the top of the chocolate and spread out over the caramel and pecans.
Now let them cool. You can put them in the refrigerator, but this will most likely result in a cracked tooth later as the caramel will be extremely hard. If you have a cool basement or somewhere chillythat works the best.
Once cooled....ENJOY!!
Happy Birthday to the most amazing mother! A woman of God, humility, grace, patience, and unconditional love.
