Bacon Turtles

Bacon candies are so popular they're almost a cliche at this point, but the reason they're so popular is because folks go gaga over them. And I must give the people what they want! These Bacon Turtles are a twist on traditional turtles: I've added a strip of crispy bacon to the familiar combination of toasted pecans, chewy caramel, and rich chocolate. The bacon doesn't make them taste bacon-y so much as a little salty, so if you really want to boost the bacon flavor, add two strips of bacon instead of just one. Or top them with crumbled bacon! Or serve them with bacon jam, between two slices of bacon, and eat them with a bacon fork. And then send me a picture, because that sounds insane.

Get the recipe: Bacon Turtles

---

Get my Weekly Newsletter | Connect on Facebook | Find me on Twitter.

Bacon Turtles Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

View the original article here

Turtles Candy

What's the first candy you remember making? Assuming we don't count concoctions like sugar mixed with food coloring, or a melted candy bar mashed into smithereens, the first candy I ever made were these simple Turtles.

Obviously I had some adult supervision (I was not, alas, a culinary child prodigy) but the great thing about Turtles is they're so easy, they give new meaning to the phrase "child's play." The recipe literally includes just three ingredients: toasted pecans, store-bought caramels, and chocolate. You melt your caramels and chocolate, drop them on top of pecan clusters, and then comes the most difficult step: waiting for them to set. Their simplicity, and the fact that they can be made entirely in the microwave, makes these a great "starter candy" for young cooks or anyone easing into the world of candy-making. And if they don't look exactly like what people imagine Turtles should look like, well, take comfort in the fact that there are more than 300 types of turtles in this world, and maybe yours are more spur-thighed tortoise than common box turtle. So there!

Get the recipe: Turtles

---

Get my Weekly Newsletter | Connect on Facebook | Find me on Twitter.

Turtles Photo c2010 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

View the original article here