Ah, Turtle Clusters! These are sweet, crunchy candies made with chocolate, caramel, and pecans—named because they resemble little turtles. Here’s a simple recipe:
Turtle Clusters
Ingredients (makes about 20–24 clusters):
- 1 cup pecan halves (or chopped pecans)
- 12 oz caramel candies (or soft caramels), unwrapped
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 8 oz semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped or chips
- Sea salt (optional, for sprinkling)
Instructions:
- Prepare nuts: Arrange pecan halves in clusters on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can make small groups of 2–3 pecans each.
- Melt caramel: In a small saucepan, melt caramel candies with milk over low heat, stirring until smooth.
- Add caramel to nuts: Spoon a small amount of melted caramel over each pecan cluster, just enough to hold them together. Let it set slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Melt chocolate: In a microwave or double boiler, melt chocolate until smooth.
- Top clusters with chocolate: Spoon or drizzle chocolate over each caramel-pecan cluster, covering the caramel.
- Optional: Sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on top for a sweet-salty flavor.
- Cool: Let the clusters set completely at room temperature, or refrigerate for 10–15 minutes.
- Serve: Once firm, remove from parchment and enjoy!
These are perfect for gifts or holiday treats. They store well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
If you want, I can also give a no-bake version that’s even quicker and uses peanut butter for extra richness. Do you want me to share that version?
