Recipes and Cooking Ideas for Homemakers and Amateur Cooks
 

Butter Pecan Turtle Bars

Posted on July 15, 2008
Filed Under Cookies and bars

I can’t tell you how good these are! It’s good I don’t have a pan of these sitting around, what with trying to be on a diet and all. I’d be helpless.

This recipe came from the Tasty Favorites cookbook and the 2-page spread that they’re on is a dynamite 2 pages. Seriously, I was trying to choose between all 4 recipes. First, I weeded out the Chewy Peanut Butter Bars, I think because I wasn’t too sure about the coconut… they, by the way, are not similar to the Peanut Butter Dream Bars featured awhile ago. Next, I weeded out the Chocolate Crunch Bars, mostly because I had made something similar to those before, except the brownie part was a brownie mix in my other recipe instead of made from scratch like this one. I just could not choose between the Caramel Toffee Bars and the Butter Pecan Turtle Bars (which are actually called Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies in this cookbook, but I’d say they’re bars because they’re made in a pan then cut apart, not made individually like cookies). And finally the Turtle ones won. BUT, you will probably be seeing those other recipes sometime in the future.

Back to that Tasty Favorites cookbook, I love it! It’s got 227 pages of good solid down home cookin’ recipes in it. It’s compiled by the Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church in IN. If any of you readers are from there, you did a GREAT job compiling that cookbook! I know my cousin Nic goes to that church, but I don’t think I know anyone else there.

Anyway, back to the Turtle bars…

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Butter Pecan Turtle Bars

Printable recipe 

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup pecan pieces

Mix flour, sugar, and butter, and pat into a 9×13 pan.
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I wasn’t too sure about this crust when I was making it. It seemed too thick for as fine and crumbly as it was. But after it baked, it was perfectly firm and not crumbly at all.

Sprinkle pecan pieces over crust.
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Caramel Layer:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup milk chocolate chips
In a 1-qt pan, combine butter and sugar, cook. When entire surface boils; boil 1/2 to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over pecan crust.
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Anybody getting a caramel craving? I’m feeling a strong urge to make these bars again.

Bake at 350 on center rack for 18-22 minutes or until caramel is bubbly all over and crust is lightly browned.
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Sprinkle chocolate chips on and allow to melt slightly, swirl as they melt.
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I will not go out to my kitchen and make these right now. I will not go out to my kitchen and make these right now. I will not… somebody, please help me… I could use a bit of willpower here.

Comments

14 Responses to “Butter Pecan Turtle Bars”

  1. Traci on July 15th, 2008 10:00 pm

    I WILL go out to my kitchen and make these right now…..oh darn, tomorrow is WEIGH IN WEDESDAY….When I get a few moments, I’m sure going to blog about your site….I LOVE the pictures!!!

  2. Barb on July 16th, 2008 4:44 am

    I WILL…

  3. Lisa on July 16th, 2008 4:49 am

    My husband LOVES Turtles. I have to make these for him. You may see this recipe turn up on my blog soon!!

    Are they the same consistency of a store bought Turtle?

  4. Shannon on July 16th, 2008 6:41 am

    My mouth is watering!!!!! I gonna make these today!!!! I love turtles so I’ll even put the choc on top. :) Oh, was I suppose to be yelling at you not to make them??? :)

  5. Rene on July 16th, 2008 8:13 am

    I just have to make these! I have 2 events that call for a dessert this week (birthday of a co-worker and our church ladies night out). Who knows I might even make them twice!!

  6. Kay on July 16th, 2008 8:48 am

    Lisa, I’m not even sure what store bought turtles are like. Do you find them in the candy section?

    Rene, you make them once, you’ll make them twice. :) These got compliments at the picnic that I took them to.

  7. Lisa on July 16th, 2008 1:42 pm

    Kay – yes they are in the candy section. They are round and have the pecans kinda sticking out of them. Very popular at Christmas time. I believe the box is red striped. My husband wants a box every time he sees them. I think I will have to make these for him this weekend!

  8. Liz on July 16th, 2008 3:59 pm

    You are going to have to start telling me what dishes are yours at social functions. Once I see them on here I wish I would have tried them that way I know if I like them or not. I heard someone make some comments about those bars but never got around to try them. I love turtles so I am sure I would have liked them.

  9. Roxanna on July 16th, 2008 9:07 pm

    I made these today and they are great! Barb ate some-actually, I think she ate half the pan! :)

  10. Karen on July 16th, 2008 9:56 pm

    These look fabulous!! I want one RIGHT now!!

  11. Barb on July 17th, 2008 9:02 am

    No, I did not eat half the pan, but they were WONDERFUL! I am going to make them for our family reunion this weekend.

  12. Traci on July 18th, 2008 2:13 pm

    Ok, my dd read the recipe and we baked the CRUST for 18 minutes BEFORE putting on the carmel…so, we didn’t bake the caramel….not really sure if it turned out like it was supposed to do, but they were still awesome. My caramel didn’t seem to go as far as yours….would you know why? Thanks for the recipe.

  13. Kay on July 18th, 2008 2:54 pm

    Traci, glad you made them. :) I’m not sure about the caramel… I made exactly how much the recipe said and had a 9×13 pan. You probably did the same. When I poured it over the crust, I tried to cover the whole crust while pouring so I wouldn’t have to spread it to the parts I missed. I still had to close in little gaps by spreading it and the caramel layer isn’t very deep at all… the chopped nuts still stuck out above it.

  14. Rene on July 20th, 2008 7:57 pm

    Ok…I just pulled these out of the oven and they smell amazing!! It was near 100 today so I really debated with myself about turning on the oven. I’ll be back to let you know how they turned out. I’m glad you mentioned the crust being so crumbly at first because I was worried I didn’t put in enough butter.