TURTLES

Chocolate Caramel and Pecan Turtle Clusters

Time: 40 min hands on + 20 min to cool and set Yield: about 40 clusters ***NOTE: I used my homemade caramel recipe for these clusters. I only made half a batch of caramel, as the ingredients below indicate. I've got to think about my health you know. Consuming 80 Turtle Clusters could kill a person. Dead. Dead as a door nail! However, if are making Turtle Clusters for the masses please feel free to double this recipe. It will turn out very well.*** 2 1/2 C pecans 1/2 C butter (I use salted) 1 C brown sugar 1/2 C light corn syrup 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 of a 14 ounce can) 1/2 t vanilla 1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips 1/2 t shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco) 1. Toss 2 1/2 cups of pecans into a large skillet. Toast them over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until they have darkened just a bit and smell fragrant and wonderful. Should only take a few minutes. 2. Find yourself 2 large cookie sheets. Line them with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray. Arrange your pecans into clusters, three to a group works well. You want to leave some space (about an inch) between each cluster. 3. Make your caramel (full tutorial with pictures found here). Place 1/2 C butter into a medium-sized sauce pan. Melt it over medium high heat. Add 1 C brown sugar, 1/2 C light corn syrup and 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk to the pan. Increase the heat just a bit and stir it continually. Cook and stir until it reaches 235-240 degrees. I generally remove it from the heat when it reaches about 234 degrees. It will continue to rise in temperature just a bit even without the direct heat, making the caramel just the right texture.  4. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. 5. Carefully drizzle about 1 1/2 teaspoons of caramel over each nut cluster. You'll want to work quickly, as the caramel will begin to set up. Be sure there is caramel touching all of the nuts in your cluster. The caramel works like glue, sticking the nuts together. 6. In a microwave safe bowl pour 12 ounces of milk chocolate chips. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cooking interval. 7. Add 1/2 teaspoon of shortening to the melted chocolate. Allow it to sit for a minute or two (so it can melt and make the chocolate chips more spreadable). Stir it all together. 8. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted chocolate over the top of the caramel and nuts. Swirl it around along the top making a pretty swoop with your spoon. 9. Allow the chocolate to set up. Once it has hardened and cooled you can serve them immediately, or transfer them to an air tight container. Enjoy! Caramels! Rich and Buttery www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com Time: 40 minutes plus about 1 hour to wrap  Yield: 1 jelly roll pan (about 130 caramels) Recipe from Our Cooking Cafe 1 cup butter 2 cups packed brown sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. 2. Add your brown sugar. Stir it all around until it dissolves. 3. Add the sweetened condensed milk. Anyone every tried a little taste of sweetened condensed milk plain, in all it's glory? Wow. It will send shivers of joy down your spine, I tell you. It's one great taste of comfort and joy...comfort and joy. 4. And the corn syrup. 5. Now bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring. Stirring is key here. Don't stop stirring. 6. The mixture will need to boil for 20-30 minutes or until the temperature on your candy thermometer reads between 235-240. HOWEVER...I have found candy thermometers to be a bit sensitive and inaccurate at times. Most of the time when I make candy I don't even use one. There is a little trick I will  show you. Ice water is going to be your pal. When you are approaching 230 degrees on your candy thermometer, dip your spoon into the caramel, then into the ice water. Let it hang out for just about 10 seconds or so. Then press your finger into the caramel. If the candy holds the finger indentation....you are good to go! If not, cook for a bit longer.  7. Remove your caramel from the heat and add some vanilla. Stir until well combined. 8. Pour the caramel into a buttered jelly roll pan. Let the caramels cool and set. This should take about 30 minutes.  9. I like to cut them with a pizza wheel. Scissors also work well. 10. Cut yourself up some wax paper and you are set to wrap your fabulous caramels...rich and buttery. You are going to make someone very happy with these! Happy Candy Making!