PECAN TURTLES

 2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

4-ounce block of caramel, cut into 16 pieces; or 16 caramel candies 

16 bittersweet chocolate disks (1" to 1 1/2" disks)

a pinch ofsea salt, to garnish each candy

 Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2) Divide the pecans into 16 small piles on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet (a scant 2 teaspoons pecans each).

3) Flatten each caramel cube into the size of a half dollar, and place on the pecans.

4) Heat in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until the caramel softens and begins to melt.

5) Remove from the oven; wait 1 minute, then top each cluster with one disk of chocolate, pressing it into the softened caramel gently.

6) Top each candy with a few flakes of Fleur de Sel, or other coarse sea salt.

7) Allow the caramel and chocolate to cool and set before removing candies from the pan.

Yield: 16 candies.

ROLO FUDGE

 

40 Rolo candies, cut in half

1 1/2 cup Marshmallow Cream

3 cup milk chocolate chips

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup pecans, chopped

In a saucepan over low heat, melt marshmallow cream, milk and chocolate chips. Stir constantly until completely melted and creamy. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Fold in Rolo candy.

Pour into a foil lined 13x9 pan. Refrigerate until cool, cut into squares. Enjoy.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

 The gooey sweetness of this bar will tempt you from bite to bite for just one more.

A few notes:
1. Carefully and slowly cook your caramel mixture or it will quickly go from creamy to scorched.
2. Score your bars when the chocolate has cooled but not set. This will keep the chocolate from cracking when you cut it.
3. Make sure to wipe your knife clean between cuts to give each bar nice smooth edges.
4. These are sticky, so I like to store mine between parchment paper in the fridge.  If you do this, remove the bars from the fridge and let them rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
5. For best results rest each layer as instructed in the recipe.  

Shortbread
1 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 8×8 pan with parchment.
3. Cream butter until smooth.
4. Slowly add sugars and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Gently fold flour into mixture until incorporated.
6. Flatten dough into parchment lined 8×8 pan. Using a fork pierce holes into dough. Place pan in fridge to chill for an hour prior to baking.
7. Bake 8-12 minutes.
8. Return pan with baked shortbread layer to fridge for one hour before adding caramel mixture.
*Note: This portion can be made two days in advance

Caramel
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine brown sugar and condensed milk for 60-90 minutes or until mixture has thicken and turned into a caramel color. Make sure to keep your eye on the mixture and whisk often.
2. Pour caramel on top of shortbread.  Place pan in the freezer for an hour.
3. Remove from freezer and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before pouring chocolate on top.
Chocolate
1 1/2 cup chocolate
1 tablespoon heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place heat proof bowl with chocolate and heavy cream in a skillet or sauté pan over barely simmering water.
2. Pour chocolate on top of caramel.
3. Score chocolate once cooled but not set for easy cutting.

ROCKY ROAD POPS

Find some cute wooden skewers at Michaels or a party store. Stick two large marshmellows onto skewers . Dip in cooled melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip then roll in chopped nuts. Place in refridgerator til set up.

NO NO's (Chocolate mousse balls)

Ingredients

3 large 6.8 oz. each Hershey Almond Hershey Bars

1 box Keebler Vanilla Wafers- Do not substitute, they will not taste as good

1 8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Break up bars in a bowl and microwave in 1 min intervals stirring after each til melted. Set aside and let cool all the way.

Take the vanilla wafers and put in a Large zip lock bag, letting the air out. Roll wafers with rolling pin til they are crushed powder like. Pour in a large shallow bowl for dipping.

Sir in the cool whip a little at a time mixing til smooth scrapping the bottom of pan to get all the chocolate mixed.

The mousse should be fairly firm. If the chocolate is too cool it will not mix well so I put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and continue to stir til smooth.

Take a teaspoon and scoop up some mousse and drop in the crushed wafers. Cover all over and then take and roll in palm of your hand to make a ball. You may need to dip again and roll to completly cover. Drop on wax paper. If balls are too big you won't get 30 balls

Makes about 30-40 med balls.

* if you buy the bars that are usually 10 for $10 during the holidays you will need to use 5 bars. If the balls tend to go flat on the bottom while dipping then put mix in the fridge for about 20 min. then continue to roll. Put them in the fridge til firm and then transfer to a holiday can or container.

ROLO PECAN TREATS

Ingredients
Rolo's candy (caramel candy in chocolate) in a bag or in the roll. Each Rolo has 8 caramels. The bag has several more for the money- thanks to Wallmart.
Bag of whole pecans
Bag of pretzels.

Place pretzels on a large cookie sheet. Place a rolo on top of each pretzel in the middle.
Put cookie sheet in a heated oven that you turned off. Wait a few minutes til the rolos look soft. Take out of oven and carefully press a whole pecan in the center which will spread out the rolo. WaaLaa. That simple and so yummy.