Turtle Candy Brownie How-To

 

The September issue of Country Living introduced their readers to a delish lookin’ recipe for Turtle Candy Tart.  I thought it would be a sinfully great treat to make for our week-end, but I didn’t have the chocolate graham crackers needed for the first layer.  Even though I am a five-minute bicycle ride away from the grocery, I was too lazy to go there and buy those darn crackers.

 

 

 

After thinking about it for a little while, I decided that the first layer could be a brownie.  I used a recipe from a cookie cookbook that I received as a gift during my senior year in high school.  You can use a mix if that rings your bell.  I’m not going to provide a brownie recipe because we all have a favorite one.  Just be sure to bake it in a round spring form pan.  Then you spread caramel on top of the cooled brownie for the second layer.  I used a dulce de leche that I brought home from Argentina, but you can use the CL recipe below.

 

 

 

The next layer is a sprinkling of nuts.  I used walnuts, but pecans would work, too.  I roasted them slightly beforehand.  Do you see the turtle theme coming out here?

 

 

The last layer is a chocolate ganache.  I chopped semi-sweet baker’s chocolate and then brought a heavy cream to a boil.  I slowly added the hot cream to the chocolate, waited 30 seconds, and then stirred till it melted.  You also add some butter and vanilla.

 

 

It’s important to let it cool in the frig for a few hours before you serve it.  You can see the layers of brownie, caramel, nuts, and ganache.

 

 

Warning!!!  This is not a diet food.  The Country Living version had 520 calories per serving.  With the brownie as a layer, my version probably has more.  I controlled the amount we ate by freezing half for another time.

 

COUNTRY LIVING’S TURTLE CANDY TART

• 2 stick(s) Unsalted Butter

• 14  (about 1 1/2 cups) Chocolate Graham Crackers, crushed

• 1/3 cup(s) Granulated Sugar

• Sea Salt

• 1 cup(s) Light-Brown Sugar

• 1 cup(s) Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 1/2 cup(s) Light Corn Syrup

• 6 ounce(s) (about 1 1/2 cups) Pecan Halves, toasted

• 3/4 teaspoon(s) Vanilla

• 8 ounce(s) Bittwersweet Chocolate, finely chopped

• 2 1/2 cup(s) Heavy Cream

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium-low heat, melt 1 stick butter. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add graham crackers, granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and combine. Press mixture into the bottom and along the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the caramel: In a medium pot fitted with a candy thermometer, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and stir to combine. Allow caramel to come to a boil; maintain gentle boil, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 240 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour caramel into tart crust and spread evenly. Set aside to cool, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the ganache: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small pot, bring 1 cup heavy cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds, then stir until melted. Pour over caramel and spread ganache into a smooth, even layer with a spatula. Refrigerate tart until set, about 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat remaining heavy cream until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Once tart is set, remove outer ring of pan. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Serve with dollops of whipped cream.

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