Pecan Meringue Turtles Recipes

PECAN TURTLES

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with waxed paper; lightly coat with cooking spray and set aside. Butter the sides of a heavy saucepan with 1 teaspoon butter. Cube remaining butter; place in pan. Add the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Cook and stir until sugar is melted., Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248° (firm-ball stage), about 16 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Gently stir in pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 12 minutes. , In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over clusters. Chill until firm. Store in the refrigerator.

PECAN TURTLES

Steps:

• Spread the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375*F about 5 minutes, until warm and fragrant. Cool and set aside.
• Unwrap caramels and place caramels, cream and vanilla in the top of a double boiler and heat until the caramels have melted (this will take a while). Stir as needed.
• While the caramel melts, heat the chocolate chips in another double boiler, or in the microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals. Stir between intervals and stop cooking when the chips have almost melted, but not fully. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate, it can easily burn. Stir chips until smooth and fully melted.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. Spoon a small amount of chocolate onto the baking sheet, using the back of the spoon to smooth it into a small circle (about 2" diameter). After you've made 3-4 circles, arrange 5 pecan halves on to of chocolate, creating the "turtle" head and four legs (as pictured), or a flower. Continue making circles of chocolate, then adding pecans until the baking sheet is full (I usually fit 6-10 on a baking sheet). Set entire baking sheet in the fridge for a few minutes, until the chocolate has set up a bit.
• Once the chocolate has set, (remove from fridge) and add about a teaspoon or two of melted caramel onto the center of the pecans (as pictured). The caramel should be just melted enough that it will fall off a spoon, but not so liquid that it just rolls right off the pecans into a puddle. If the caramel is too thin, remove from heat and allow to cool just a bit. Once caramel has been added to each turtle, place baking sheet back into the fridge for a few minutes.
• When the caramel has set up just a bit, spoon a bit of chocolate on top, covering as much of the caramel as possible. If desired, add a bit of fleur de sel sea salt on top.
• Place turtles back in the fridge for just a few minutes to set up.
• When fully cool and set, remove from baking sheet and store in an airtight container at room temperature. See notes below about shelf life.

PECAN MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
• Beat egg white until stiff. Add brown sugar to egg white and beat until smooth. Fold pecans into mixture, using a large wooden spoon and stir until nuts are well coated. Drop by spoon onto un-greased cookie sheets. (About 2 pecan halves per spoonful).
• Bake until golden brown and meringue is completely dry - about 1 hour.

MERINGUE TURTLES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper. Position 1 Rosebud for head and 4 pecans for feet of each turtle on baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) between pecans. In bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla. Pipe or spoon meringue over pecans, partially covering nuts and Rosebuds; smooth top with finger. Bake in 225°F (110°C) oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour longer. Dust with cocoa. (Turtles can be layered between waxed paper in airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.)

BROWN SUGAR PECAN MERINGUES

Steps:

• First, mix both sugars, set aside. Whip whites on med. up to a soft peak. Add sugars one tablespoon at a time, while mixing. When all sugar is added, turn on high and whip to a stiff peak. Fold in pecans and vanilla. Drop by spoonfulls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Smooth with the back of the spoon into rounds a half to 3/4 inches thick. Bake at 300 for 30-40 minutes or until dry and a light golden brown. Makes 24 big cookies.

FUDGY PECAN TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light. Gradually add flour, beating until blended. Roll into 1-in. balls. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray., For filling, in a bowl, combine the egg yolk, sugar, butter, milk and vanilla; gradually stir in melted chocolate. Fill tart shells three-fourths full. Top each with a pecan half. , Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned and filling is set. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

PECAN TURTLES® BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture.
• Combine 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly; cook, stirring constantly, 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
• Bake in preheated oven until entire surface is bubbly, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use a knife or small spatula to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.

CHERRY-PECAN MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
• Still beating, very gradually (1 tablespoon at a time) add sugar to egg whites. Continue to beat until sugar has dissolved and stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in chopped dried cherries and chopped pecans.
• Drop meringue mixture by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake, switching baking sheets halfway through, until meringues are dry, about 2 hours. Cool completely on baking sheets. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

PECAN TOFFEE MERINGUE WITH MULLED PEARS

Steps:

• Put the wine, pears and sugar in a pan and simmer for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C/gas 3. Draw a 25cm circle on a sheet of baking parchment, then put on a baking sheet. Stir 225g sugar and cornflour together in a jug. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar mixture, a tbsp at a time, until thick and glossy.
• Fold in vinegar and half the nuts, then pile mixture onto the circle, building up the edges to make a 'nest'. Scatter with rest of pecans then put in oven, turning the temperature down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Bake for 1 hr, then turn oven off and cool inside for 1 hr.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN TURTLES

Steps:

• Toast pecans at 300 degrees on a cookie sheet for 5 to 6 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.
• Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.
• Arrange the pecans on the sheet in small groups of 3.
• To make the caramel, melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan.
• Add brown sugar, corn syrup, 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk.
• Cook and stir over medium high heat until it reaches 235 degrees on your candy thermometer or the soft ball stage. (Clings together well when you drop 1/2 teaspoon of caramel in cold water).
• Then remove the caramel from heat and stir in vanilla. Carefully spoon caramel over each nut cluster covering all the nuts.
• For the chocolate topping melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or big glass measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds at a time stirring after each interval until all melted and smooth.
• Then add in 1/2 teaspoon shortening to the melted chocolate chips. Stir all together until its blended in.
• Spoon the melted chocolate over the caramel and spread around with the back of a spoon.
• Once they set up you can eat them or store them in an airtight container.
• Great for gift giving and holiday parties.

TURTLES® CANDIES

Steps:

• Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat; stir brown sugar and salt into the melted margarine. Mix in corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; fold in pecans. Stir vanilla extract into the caramel mixture.
• Drop spoonfuls of caramel onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow caramels to cool until firm.
• Cook and stir chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Dip cooled caramels in the melted chocolate; return to greased baking sheet. Cool until chocolate is set.