Chocolate Turtle Clusters

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  45 mins

Serves: 35-40

 

Walnut turtle cluster candy with homemade caramel and milk chocolate topping

Ingredients

• 2½ cup walnuts
• 12 oz milk chocolate(or chocolate chips)
• ½ teaspoon shortening

For caramel:

• ½ cup salted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup (I use honey instead)
• 7 oz sweetened condensed milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. In a large skillet toast walnuts over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until they have darkened just a bit. It takes a few minutes.
2. Prepare 2 large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
3. Arrange walnuts into clusters (about three in a group) and leave an inch space between each cluster.
4. To make the caramel, into a medium-sized sauce pan melt ½ cup butter over medium high heat.
5. Add 1 cup brown sugar and stir it until it dissolves.
6. Add 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk, stir it and add ½ cup light corn syrup (or honey).
7. While stirring over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil. Stirring is very important, don’t stop stirring. (The mixture will need to boil for 20-30 minutes or until the temperature on your candy thermometer reaches between 235-240).
8. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla.
9. Drizzle about 1½ teaspoons of caramel over each nut cluster quickly, because the caramel will begin to set up and make sure the caramel top all walnuts in each cluster because it need to stick the nuts together.
10. In a microwave safe bowl heat 12 ounces of milk chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cooking interval until it’s smooth.
11. Add ½ teaspoon of shortening in the melted chocolate and leave for couple of minutes to melt it, stir well.
12. Top the caramel and nuts with about 1½ teaspoons of melted chocolate and swirl it around.
13. Let them cool completely and when the chocolate is harden you can serve them, or store in the air tight container.