butter pecan turtle bars

Butter Pecan Turtle Bars

Crust:

1/2 cup, 1 stick butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

2 cups flour

2 1/2 cups pecan pieces

Caramel Topping:

1 cups light brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, milk chocolate or white chocolate, or a combination for top

Prepare crust first.  In mixing bowl, beat crust butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Turn mixer down to lowest speed and add flour.  Mix just until flour is incorporated.  Pour crust crumbles into 9 x 13 baking pan that has been sprayed with pan release.  Lightly spread mixture evenly in pan breaking up any large pieces with fingers.

Sprinkle crust evenly with pecans.

Place topping sugar and butter in small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a soft rolling boil.  Cook, still stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until mixture is a smooth caramel consistency.

Pour caramel evenly over nuts.  Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 24 minutes or until caramel is starting to bubble around the edges.

Immediately remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Once chocolate chips start to melt, lightly spread them with a knife swirling from side to side.

Allow turtle bars to cool completely before cutting.                enjoy xo

 

chocolate turtle bundt cake

Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake

1 cup butter, 2 sticks, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 eggs, room temperature

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray bundt pan with pan release.

In mixing bowl, cream butter.  Add both sugars and continue creaming.  Add both extracts and continue beating.

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture alternating with buttermilk to creamed butter mixture starting and ending with flour mixture.  Scrape down sides and bottom of mixing bowl when all ingredients are added, then continue beating another 30 seconds.

Pour cake mixture into bundt pan and bake 40-45 minutes until set.  Allow bake to cool while preparing topping.

Topping

1 cup pecan pieces

Caramel Pecan Sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Spread pecans in a single layer on sheet pan.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes until toasted and fragrant.  (Suggest you might bake these in oven as you prepare cake batter.)

Prepare caramel sauce- in heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt together brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, corn syrup and salt.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.  Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove caramel sauce from heat and add vanilla and toasted pecans.  Stir until pecans are coated.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare chocolate ganache- in microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and heavy cream together in 20 second increments stopping to stir each time.  Repeat until completely smooth.

Place cake on cake platter.  Drizzle across top in zip zag pattern with 1/3 of the chocolate ganache mixture and then 1/2 of the caramel pecan sauce.  Repeat drizzling until both sauces are used.

Store cake chilled if you don’t devour it right away while it is still warm and gooey.

enjoy xo