Turtle Bars

These bars have the gooey texture everyone loves and expects from a Turtle. More like a three-layered cookie than a candy, Turtle Bars appeal to anyone who’d rather not eat candies but will happily accept a cookie. I consider these superior to the candy of the same name!

Turtle Bars:

1-¼ c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. sugar, divided

1 c. butter, divided

1 - 10-oz. (300 mL) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1-½ c. milk chocolate melting wafers

Pecan halves, toasted (see Note)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Combine flour with ¼ c. of the sugar. Using fingers, rub in ½ c. of the butter until mixture forms fine crumbs. Press into lightly greased 8-in. square pan. Bake 20-to-25 min., until pale golden. Chill base. 

In medium saucepan over low heat, stir together sweetened condensed milk, remaining sugar, remaining butter, and corn syrup until sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 min. Bring to a boil about 10 min. over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cream thickens and starts to caramelize to a medium gold. Remove from heat, spreading evenly over chilled base. Chill until thoroughly cold, about an hour. 

Heat chocolate melting wafers by placing a metal bowl over - not in - a pot of simmering water, stirring until partially melted. Remove from heat, continuing to stir until fully melted. Spread over caramel later. Chill 3 min. Lightly score chocolate layer into 36 - 1-⅓ in.-square bars, pressing a toasted pecan half into each. Return to refrigerator and chill until chocolate has hardened and set, about 15 min. Recut along score marks, cutting deeply through base of bar. 

Measure butter accurately

Rub in to sugar and flour as crumbs

Press into pan and bake

Combine ingredients for gooey caramel layer

Cool slowly at first ...

Gradually bring to a boil

Pour over chilled base; chill caramel layer

Pour warm chocolate over caramel

Spread evenly; chill 3 min.

Lightly score and decorate; rechill

Cut well-chilled bars all the way through

Note: See How to Toast Nuts in Index. 

Further Note: As shown in the final photograph, I use a straight-edged pastry-cutting tool to slice bar cookies and candies such as fudge. I highly recommend this cutter. Because it cuts straight down in a single motion, crumbs won’t fly over te finished product as they do with the “sawing” motion of a knife.