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Homemade turtle candy with three pecan clusters, each topped with soft caramel and coated in dark chocolate.

Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles

Crunchy pecan clusters topped with chewy caramel and a smooth milk chocolate coating make these homemade turtle candies a sweet snack.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chill Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 34 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups pecan halves 340 g
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113 g
  • 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk 198 g
  • 1 cup light brown sugar 200 g
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup 170 g
  • salt pinch
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate morsels 270 g
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Method
 

  1. Set oven to 350°F (175°C). Scatter pecan halves over a big baking tray and roast them for 10 minutes. Take them off the tray and cover the tray with parchment paper.
  2. Place the roasted pecans on the parchment-covered tray in 34 distinct clusters, each measuring roughly 2 to 2 1/2 inches across.
  3. In a 5-quart stockpot, put together light brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Heat over medium flame until boiling. Mix in salt, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk. Keep cooking and stirring until a candy thermometer shows 240°F (115°C). Take off heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes so it thickens.
  4. Drop about 3/4 tablespoon of caramel onto each pecan bunch. Put the tray into the fridge for 15 minutes so the caramel sets.
  5. In a bowl safe for microwaving, mix milk chocolate chips with vegetable shortening. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until fully melted and silky. Take the caramel-covered pecans out of the fridge and drizzle roughly 1 tablespoon of chocolate over every cluster.
  6. Place the sweets back into the fridge until the chocolate hardens. Serve once set.