Have you ever had a chocolate turtle? If not, you’re in for a real treat. Mr. Handsome came home from work the other day and told me that someone had brought in homemade turtles to the office. The only problem was that there weren’t enough for everyone. He thought he would wait until the end of the day to eat one, to reward himself for working hard, but he walked into the office kitchen to find an empty plate.
Naturally, I took pity on poor Mr. Handsome and decided to make him his very own batch of homemade turtles. And since they turned out so well, I made extras for his coworkers. They were a huge hit.
Homemade Turtles
Ingredients
- 75 pecan halves
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 6 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Toss pecans in a bowl with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Toast pecans in 350F oven until they begin to brown (approximately 10 minutes). Allow pecans to cool 5 minutes.
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Line a cool baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pecans into 12 piles, 5 pecans per pile. 3 on the bottom and 2 on the top works well. You will only need 60 pecans, but starting with 75 will give you extras to repace those that will inevitably break.
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Make the caramel. Add heavy whipping cream, honey, salt, and vanilla to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramel beings to thicken (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat, and allow caramel to cool 5 minutes.
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Evenly drizzle approximately 2 tsp caramel over each pile of pecans.
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Melt chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave. Total time will depend on the strength of the microwave. Heat in 30 second increments, and stir well each time to prevent burning.
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Using a spoon, cover each turtle in 1 Tbsp melted chocolate. Allow turtles to set until hardened.
You can do an easier version with a mini pretzel for a base and a Rolo candy for the top. Just warm the plate of Rolo-topped pretzels in the oven until the Rolo is soft enough to press a nut into.
I hope the office staff brushed and flossed well after eating these! LOL
LOL, thankfully this caramel isn’t the kind that sticks badly to your teeth, but brushing and flossing is still a good idea. 🙂
Ellie
These look wonderful and thank you for the recipe just in time for Valentine’s Day!
My pleasure, Diane!
My mom made these at christmas time all the time. They were are favorites.
I’ve made chocolate chip cookies for my dentist office. But I made them with only 6 tablespoon of sugar and 6 tablespoons brown sugar and they were shock they weren’t that sugary.
That’s very kind of you to take cookies to your dentist’s office. 🙂
I have not heard of these before- I guess we don’t have them in England but I have one tiny suggestion to make. I would heat the oil in the oven before adding the pecans. It is usually nicer!!! I’m NOT going to make these as i’m still carrying some baby weight and I don’t think they would help!
Great tip, MarriedUK! I’m sure you look beautiful. Try not to be too hard on yourself. 🙂
Ellie
Remember that nuts continue to toast after you remove them from the oven, due to their residual heat. It’s easy to overcook or burn nuts if you’re not careful. Better to test them or pull them out at the minimum time you think they need. They will continue to crisp and brown a bit as they cool.
Thank you for the recipe. I was wondering what to make for my husband for Valentine’s Day. This is perfect. Turtles are his favorites, and homemade ones will be a total surprise. Ellie, did you use milk chocolate or semi- sweet?
Glad to help, Barb! Let me know what his reaction is. 🙂 I use semisweet, but milk would be delicious, too.
Ellie