Ooey Gooey

Hi again! Hope everyone is having a great week so far. We’re three recipes in and I don’t know about you but I’m having a blast! I don’t know why I waited so long to get this going but at least all this catching up is giving you lots of treats to try! Today’s post is another fan favorite that didn’t need a whole lot of tweaking- Turtle Bars! Oh my goodness these things are just amazing! They’re super rich and sweet but have just the right balance of saltiness which makes it the perfect combination! I’ve made these on three different occasions now and they’ve turned out excellent every time. The only thing about them that can be a bit time consuming is cutting; I really suggest baking them at night and letting them rest until morning before you cut. They need to be completely, completely cool before or else you’ll make a big mess. They are also quite difficult to cut because the crust is crispy (which makes it amazing) but getting the first few out can be a bit challenging. Once you’ve made one batch though you’ll get the hang of it and be a pro in no time!

OOEY GOOEY TURTLE BARS

What you’ll need:

1 roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated sugar cookies

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (I suggest using the mini chips, I feel that they melt better)

3 cups chopped pecans (I went a little lighter on this-about 2 cups)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 jar (12.25 oz) caramel ice cream topping

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (16 squares- I suggest honey)

To make the bars:

1. Heat your oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan).

2. Press cookie dough evenly in the bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. This can take some time so be patient; you want the layer to be even in the bottom of the pan.

3. Sprinkle 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups (since I used less I had about 1 cup) of the pecans over dough; lightly press into dough and then set aside.

4. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar, caramel topping and graham cracker crumbs. Heat to boiling (be patient, this can take a bit) and keep stirring the mixture so it doesn’t stick or burn to the pan. Pour over crust in pan; spread evenly.

5. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and the rest of your pecans.

6. Bake 25 to 32 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown and pecans are lightly toasted. The top mixture might be bubbling a little bit- this is a good indication.

7. Cool on cooling rack for 30 minutes (still in the pan). After the 30 minutes, loosen sides from pan with a spatula but DO NOT cut. Cool completely, at least 3 hours longer. The longer you let it stand the firmer the bars get which will make it easier to cut (rather than break and get messy).

The recipe suggested cutting in 6x4 for 24 bars but I think that makes the bars way too big; since they’re so rich you don’t need that much in one bite! I cut mine 6x6 for 36 bars and think it’s a bit better but as always- do as you please!

ENJOY!

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