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Pecan Turtle Bars
Pecan Turtle Bars
1 Review
From: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2014
What's not to love about buttery shortbread and pecans paired with rich, dark chocolate and topped with salty caramel? This easy turtle bar recipe is best with a gourmet finishing sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel, for best texture and flavor.
- By: Virginia Willis EatingWell Recipe Contributor
Ingredients 36 servings
for serving adjustment
Serving size has been adjusted!
Original recipe yields 36 servings
Nutrition per serving may change if servings are adjusted.
- Crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup low-fat evaporated milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter ( ½ stick)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Topping
- ¾ cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped and toasted
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Preparation
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Active
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Ready In
- To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper, allowing it to slightly overhang opposite edges.
- Beat butter, oil and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy and well combined; scrape down the sides. With the mixer on medium, beat in vanilla and salt. With the mixer on low, beat in flour until just combined. (The mixture will be crumbly.) Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Bake, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through, until the shortbread just starts to color around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and prick the surface with a fork. (This is important: it helps the chocolate bind to the crust.) Turn off the oven.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the warm crust. Return the pan to the hot (but turned-off) oven until the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Smooth the chocolate with a spatula. Cool on a wire rack until the chocolate is set, refrigerating if desired.
- To prepare caramel sauce: Combine 1 cup sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup turns a light golden brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually add evaporated milk. (Use caution as you add the milk: the syrup will vigorously bubble in the pan.) Add ¼ cup butter, vanilla and pinch of salt; whisk until smooth. Set aside until still warm enough to spread, but not hot enough to melt the chocolate layer. (If the caramel becomes too cool to spread easily, reheat it over low, stirring frequently.)
- To assemble & top: Spread the caramel over the chocolate. Sprinkle with pecans, gently pressing them into the caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let stand until the caramel is completely set, refrigerating if desired.
- To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan. Using the parchment paper, lift the whole panful out and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 36 bars.
- Make Ahead Tip: Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Equipment: Parchment paper
- Serving size: 1 bar
- Per serving: 134 calories; 8 g fat(3 g sat); 1 g fiber; 17 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 mcg folate; 9 mg cholesterol; 11 g sugars; 9 g added sugars; 105 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 7 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 29 mg sodium; 24 mg potassium
- Carbohydrate Servings: 1
- Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat
Reviews 1
December 03, 2014
By: EatingWell User
Wonderfully delicious!
We loved these yummy sweet and salty low calorie bars. The recipe made enough that we were able to enjoy some for ourselves and give some to our neighbors. They were so good we are going to make them again for Christmas! Hint: Be sure to refrigerate the chocolate layer before putting on the warm caramel so it won't melt.
Pros: Sweet, Salty, Low Calorie
Cons: Tricky to not get caramel to melt the chocolate layer
