McKay Family Homemade Turtles

(a Christmas baking tradition)

Note: these turtles are a very chewy and delicious treat, but beware they are also finicky to make and have a limited time span. While they never lose their flavour, they can get very hard after a few days and tough to eat. It is best to try to gobble them up sooner rather than later.

Ingredients

• caramel squares (1 per turtle)
• pecan halves (4 per turtle)
• chocolate chips (about one cup per dozen turtles)

Instructions

- decide how many turtles you would like to make and prepare the correct number of ingredients based on that.

- unwrap caramels and squish them flat until about 1/2 their original thickness for easier melting

- sort through pecan halves and discard broken ones

- put chocolate chips in a bowl and set aside with a knife

- cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper

- turn on oven to broil with the rack placed in the middle position

- set out rows of four pecan halves grouped together in an X pattern with the halves touching in the center, and then balance one caramel on top of each group of pecans

- when the oven is ready, very carefully move the cookie tray into the oven keeping the caramels and pecans in place

- keep oven door slightly open and watch of caramels until they are 1/2 melted and begin to spread out over the pecans - pull the tray out of the oven *be careful! it will seem like nothing is happening for a couple of minutes, but once the cararmels begin to melt, they will melt very quickly

- put the cookie sheet onto a flat surface and immediately place at least 4-6 chocolate chips on top of each caramel (though can put as many as you want); work quickly to cover each caramel on the tray before the caramels begin to cool and harden again

- after placing the chocolate chips on top, circle back to the first caramel and use the knife to swirl the now-melted chocolate to spread it out a bit and make it decorative - do this for each turtle.

- allow to cool and enjoy!