Turtles with homemade caramel are really
easy to make and give that WOW factor
for a nice gift.
Lots of my friends prefer nuts and chews to the
cream centers so turtles are a great choice for them.
Easy Homemade Caramel Recipe
1 C. melted butter
1 C. light corn syrup
2 C. brown sugar
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
Before you begin any candy recipe, you should
calibrate your thermometer. In the mountains here,
it is going to boil at a different temperature than at
sea level. Mine boils at 200 and water should boil
at 212, so I must subtract 12 degrees off any recipe
I make.
In a heavy saucepan, mix the above. Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly on medium high. Turn the heat down
and keep it on low to keep the caramel from scorching.
After it comes to a boil wash down the sides of the
pan with a pastry brush and water (to catch any
undissolved sugar).
When the candy reaches 238 (sea level - so I cooked
mine to 226) pull it off the heat and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
Pour into a buttered pan for caramels that you
cut and dip or spoon onto a pan of nuts that
you want to make into turtles.
Top with melted chocolate. I use dipping chocolate
but you need to melt it and then let it cool to about
90 degrees, stirring in between each few. If you don't
let it cool and then stir it constantly it will streak.
Get a little instant read thermometer to make sure
that it is cool enough. Also you should work with
dipping chocolate in a room that is between 65 and70
degrees.
(I usually use Peters, Guittard or Merckens dipping
chocolate. It can be purchased online if you don't
have any specialty stores that sell it.)
You can also top it with chocolate molding discs
if you don't want to mess with real chocolate. It
won't taste as good, but the newer discs are pretty
good. Chocolate chips work too with just a touch
of shortening - which helps it from streaking, but
still cool it.
Put it in a pretty box with colored
tissue for a great presentation.
Fill a parchment paper lined
cookie sheet with broken pecan
pieces. Spoon the hot caramel by soup
spoonfuls onto the nuts leaving space between.
I have never done this before, but I decided to use
a small round cookie cutter to make the turtles
into a perfect round shape.
I love how they look perfectly round!
You can either top the turtles with chocolate or
you can dip the entire turtle. I do both but today
I just spooned and swirled chocolate on the tops.
Now I want to show my beautiful
bangle bracelets that I received
this week in the mail from Marsha
at
Marsha designs and sells exquisite jewelry
and she had a giveaway. I got to choose which
color of stone I wanted. I have worn them
every day!
They are dressy but look great
with a sweater or leather jacket and jeans.
Visit Marsha's stylish blog and Etsy shop.
There is something for all price ranges.
She always has
the latest in fashion and everything is just a
visual delight.
I will be posting this with
