Dark Chocolate Caramel Turtles

Dark Chocolate Caramel Turtles

 

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One of my mom’s favorite sweet treats is Caramel Pecan Turtles. So for Easter my sister and I thought we should try and make her  some homemade turtles. All the recipes we found  used premade processed caramels, we wanted to make our own caramel.  These tasty treats are prepared homemade with no processed caramel.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Pecans toasted (see recipe below for toasting the pecans)

8 ounces of 70% Dark Chocolate (I love Trader Joe’s 72% Belgium Chocolate) ***chop finely***

One recipe of my Salted Caramel Drizzle (see recipe below) fyi there will be some left over but it lasts in the refrigerator for a good while and is perfect on chocolate chips or even ice cream.

 

This recipe makes about 15 to 18 Caramel Chocolate Turtles.

 

Directions:

First toast the pecans by turning your oven at 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the pecans so they are not touching each other. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the nuts are aromatic.

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Start your double boiler and melt the chocolate.

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Line a half sheet cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spray with Pam or alternative cooking spray. Line 5 pecans in the shape of a turtle.

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Salted Caramel Drizzle:

 

Ingredients:

1 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt

Additional sea salt for decoration (optional)

Directions:

1. Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt.  Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down. Keep cooking until temperature reaches 350 degree. Once temperature reached add butter, once the butter is melted gently pour in the heavy cream and whisk until combined.

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Let caramel mixture set for 10 minutes and use a siphon to pour caramel into squeeze bottle and dispense over center of pecan shaped turtles.

 

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You can use a spoon or you can use a wilton bottle squeeze bottle. Place the turtles in the freezer or refrigerator until the caramel hardens.

One the chocolate has been melted thoroughly and caramel has hardened spoon chocolate over the caramel. Place them in the refrigerator and let cool (about an hour).

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Once cooled….Enjoy them one bite at a time!