Chocolate & Cashew Turtles
The easiest and best in homemade chocolates! Salted cashews enrobed with the smoothest caramel then dipped in chocolate. A heavenly trio for the holidays made in your own “chocolaterie”.
Chocolate Cashew Turtles
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white karo syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
(for salted caramel, add 1/2 tsp. coarse salt or fleur de sel)
8 ounces roasted and salted whole cashews 8 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or 12 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
-In a heavy-bottomed, large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in white corn syrup, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Over medium-high heat, stir ingredients until sugar is melted and mixture is smooth. Continue stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Lower heat slightly to medium and continue cooking and stirring until caramel sauce reaches 232 degrees on a candy thermometer, just shy of soft-ball stage (it will take 10 - 12 minutes at a boil to reach this stage). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt, if used. Be very careful not to over or under cook - the result is too hard to chew or too runny to hold its shape.
-Lightly spray a regular-sized muffin tin with 12 holes, with cooking spray. Place about 6 cashews in each cup. Pour warm caramel sauce over the pecans until it covers most of the nuts. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. (There may be caramel sauce leftover that can be stored in the fridge for another purpose- on cake or ice cream)
-Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Using the microwave to temper the chocolate, melt on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir for a minute, then let sit another 2 -3 minutes. Return and zap the chocolate for another 30 second burst on high. Remove and stir until all the chocolate is melted. If the chocolate is still not melted after stirring well, zap the chocolate for another 20 second burst on high. Remove and stir again, then let rest for at least 5 minutes.
-Stir the chocolate until smooth and place in a deep bowl so that you can easily dip the candy in. Place a piece of parchment paper on a tray. Then, picking up one caramel piece at a time, dip and spoon chocolate over at least half of the turtle, letting the chocolate run down the sides. Scrape off the bottom of extra chocolate on the side of the bowl and lay the turtle down on the parchment paper. If you prefer you can lower the turtle into the chocolate on a large fork, and spoon the chocolate completely over the turtle, then place on the parchment paper.
-Allow the turtles to cool and the chocolate harden for at least 1 hour before serving. Do not refrigerate the turtles as that will discolor the chocolate and cause the caramel to be too hard to easily chew.
-Makes about 16 chocolate turtles.
Lightly srapy the cups of a standard muffin tin, then place about 6 whole cashews in each cup.
Pour the caramel sauce over the nuts in each cup, completely covering them.
Let the caramel cool and set for at least 1 hour.
Melt the chocolate as described in the recipe, then place in a deep bowl. Dip the turtles in the chocolate and spoon the chocolate over at least half of the turtle.
Allow turtles to sit for another hour so that the chocolate can set.
Serve chocolate turtles for a super-duper, extra special holiday treat!
Mmmmm!
