Turtle Fudge – an “Oh So Easy” recipe. A decades old easy and foolproof fudge recipe gets topped by crunchy toasted pecans, melted caramel candy and rich chocolate.

I do tend to get on a roll sometimes when one recipe naturally leads to another, which is how this Turtle Fudge came about after I posted my recipe for Turtle Cheesecake last week. I’m pretty happy that it did; this stuff is pretty fantastic.

Ever since I was a kid, I’d occasionally make fudge from that super-simple recipe on the side of the sweetened condensed can. Perhaps because it is so easy, super smooth, chocolatey and creamy, I’ve rarely tried other kids of chocolate fudge.

Perhaps though, it is merely a hold over memory from childhood that I like to revisit. I have sort of added a bit of a more adult twist on the recipe using 50% cocoa, dark chocolate chips in the recipe, as my taste in chocolate is now definitely on the dar side.

TURTLE FUDGE FOR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING.

I was also planning on talking about food gifts for the Holidays, which I love to give and receive myself. Gift giving is hard enough as it is, and shopping amongst the large Holiday crows holds zero appeal for me anyway; I’d much rather give a small present that tells someone they were worth my time and care.

In my younger days I would have thought that homemade gifts, even food gifts, were the cheapskates way out. While I am still known for a bit of a frugal nature, I haven’t thought that way in a very long time.

Gifts of homemade jam like my recent Carrot Cake Jam or my favourite Easy Homemade Marmalade or even a pretty package of Old Fashioned Shortbread Cookies are always well received. Time seems to be the most precious commodity in modern life, so if you take the time to slow down and make delicious treats for those closest to you, they will be among the most appreciated of the season.

This Turtle Fudge was very well received by my taste testers and I suspect some may be expecting a second helping in my Christmas care packages this year.

Ingredients

• 3 cups dark chocolate chips you can use semi-sweet if you prefer
• 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk 300ml in Canada; 14 oz in the US
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans
• 24 soft caramel candies I used Kraft
• 1 tbsp whipping cream or whole milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted for top
• US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Start by toasting the pecans in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing them once, half way through that time.
Let them cool completely, then snap each pecan into about 4 pieces.
Line a 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. I prefer the 8 inch pan for slightly thicker chunks of fudge.
Add the 3 cups of chocolate chips, the can of sweetened milk , the vanilla extract and salt to a small saucepan and melt over medium low heat, just until the chocolate is melted. Be careful not to overheat this mixture. Take it low and slow.
Spread the mixture evenly into the lined pan.
Sprinkle the pecan pieces evenly over the surface of the fudge and press down lightly to make sure they get good contact with the fudge layer.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the caramel candies and whipping cream. Again, do this low and slow because overheating the caramel may cause it to go brittle.
Drizzle the caramel over the pecan layer.
Melt the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in a double boiler and drizzle all over the caramel and pecans.
Chill for several hours or overnight before cutting into small squares or bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.