This year, as the exchange was approaching, my wonderful husband picked up the Cookies edition of Fine Cooking magazine for me. Oh, drool! I wanted to cancel everything and just bake my way through the magazine. It all looked so good! It was tough picking which to make for our low-stress, non-competitive event. So many delectable choices! But with the help of a friend, I settled on the Caramel Turtle Bars. It was a good choice. Caramel is always good, but you throw in pecans, shortbread, and a hint of chocolate, and it's out of this world.
I'd recommend making these for gifting, exchanging, or just for treating your family if they've been really good this year. If you have someone special who deserves a care package, be sure to read the shipping tips that follow the recipe.
This is also my submission for Eat Christmas Cookies 2, the showcase of Christmas cookies from around the world. Check out the round-up to get inspiration for your cookie exchange!
Caramel Turtle Bars
- adapted from Cookies - Fine Cooking
Shortbread Crust:
7 oz (14 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
9 oz (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
Caramel Topping:
2 cups pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Ganache:
2 oz good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
6 Tbsp heavy cream
1- Line a 9 x 13-inch metal pan with foil. To do this easily, form the foil over the bottom of the pan, then turn the pan right side up and press the foil in place. Be sure the ends hang over the edges to make handles for easy removal. Lightly coat the sides, but not the bottom, of the foil with cooking spray or melted butter to prevent the caramel from sticking.
2- In a medium bowl, stir the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the flour to make a stiff dough. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes, or if you're rushed for time, pop it in the freezer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is firm.
3- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 deg. F.
4- Bake the dough for 20 minutes, decrease the oven temp to 300 deg. F, and bake until the crust is golden all over and completely set, about another 15 minutes.
5- Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the crust.
6- In a heavy medium saucepan, bring the brown sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until all the ingredients are melted and smooth. Let the mixture continue to boil, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 deg. F, about 6 more minutes. Turn off the heat and immediately (and carefully) pour the caramel evenly over the prepared crust. Let the bars cool completely, about 2 hours before garnishing with the ganache.
7- When the bars are cooled, put the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until combined and smooth.
8- Fill a zip-lock plastic bag with the ganache, snip a tiny piece off a corner, and drizzle the ganache decoratively over the caramel bars. You don't have to use all the ganache and can store the extra in the fridge for up to five days.
9- Let the ganache set for 30 minutes to an hour. Carefully lift the bars from the pan using the foil sidea and transfer them to a cutting board. Separate the foil from the bars by sliding a spatula between them. Cut the bars into 1-1/2-inch squares. They will keep at room temperature for 1 week, if they're not devoured right away.
Shipping tips from FedEx:
Directions for a Crumble-Free Sweet Treat
- Place the baked goods in a sturdy container and layer wax paper between the baked goods, using crumpled paper to fill in any void spaces
- Secure the lid of the container to the body with tape, to keep it from accidentally popping off
- Place the container in a sturdy corrugated cardboard box and use newspaper or plastic grocery bags to cushion the container tightly in place
- Shake the box – if you can feel or hear any movement, add more cushioning!
- Ship before Dec. 16, 2008 and use FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery Services for the most cost effective delivery in time for Christmas
- For a last-minute gift idea, you can send your homemade treats as late as Dec. 23, 2008 for overnight delivery in time for Christmas
34 comments:
As a caramel-fanatic, I NEEEEEED those bars!!! Delish.
Oh, I think I might make these for my cookie exchange! They look that good. Printing out the recipe now.
These would be a great addition for my holiday baking! They look yummy!
Very good choice. I can almost taste them they look so good.
I bought that mag. this year too! These look droooool worthy!
Oh these look so good! I haven't started the Christmas baking, quite yet, but I think tomorrow's the day! What great inspiration.
GORGEOUS cookies!!!
YUM!!!!!
Christmas cookies, just for fun. Christmas cookies for everyone!
Love the cookies Lynn.
How I wish I seen this before I mailed some of my cookies I should have used waxed paper of course!
Your group sounds like fun!
mmm, anything with chocolate and caramel gets my attention!!
I love Fine Cooking! I have to get that issue... Those bars look great!
Feel free in the vein of Christmas spirit to FedEx some of these turtle bars my way!!!
They look delicious. Cookie exchanges are so much fun!
These look fantastic! I think they'll make it into my gifts this year!
These look like the perfect holiday cookie!! Thanks for the recipe!
OOohh, with these bars, I'd love to be invited to your cookie exchange!!
Oh, yes, caramel is always good, that's for sure. Those bars must certainly have been among the first to go at the exchange, they look scrumptious. :)
wow, so good!
I'm sad my exchange is already over...and there's not much left to show for it! These would have been a welcome addition.
Ciao ! They are so beautiful !!! And I appreciate the mailing instructions !!!
Lynn, these look irresistible! And I love all of your tips for mailing edible gifts too. I'm sure you just helped out a lot of people! Happy Holidays!
These look soo good! And thanks for the shipping tips. Very helpful for a bloggy sweet treat exchange that I am doing!
yes, all the joy of baking would certainly be taken out in a fiercely competitive bake off. these turtle bars sound divine
I'd love to make these Lynn, but I can't promise to share them. I'm only human, dear.
Yum! There's something about the holidays and caramel....okay, there's just something about caramel, no matter when! ;)
Thanks for the packaging tips, I needed them.
Everytime I read about cookie exchanges I wish we had such tradition here! I'd love a get together with friends and bake. Sadly cookie baking in Holland raises eyebrows (remember the Bush-Clinton bake off? They are Clinton, I'm Baaarbara). These sound great!
These cookies have everything going on that I could want. They look awesome!
...mmm these sound like the perfect cookie to bring to my cookie exchange party! Thanks for sharing the shipping tips.
These sound lush! Yum, yum, yum!
Caramel and chocolate? I'll have ten please! :D
Way nummy! Thanks for choosing a new cookie every year. These were awesome!
Ooo yes these look delicious. I was tempted by that Fine Cooking cookie magazine but didn't end up getting it. I think it had a recipe for potato chip cookies that was pretty intriguing though.
I featured you on Tip Junkie today. Thanks so much for the yummy inspiration!
Post a Comment