Ever since I learned that you could make insanely delicious date-caramel with only two ingredients (shout out Dana at Minimalist Baker), it’s all I think about. When can I eat it next? How many times a week can you make without it being inappropriate? And most importantly, what new recipe can I make with it?
I started to think of all the things I love that include caramel, and how I could recreate them…ice cream sundaes, popcorn, Caramellos. I decided to start simple and go with one of my all-time favorite caramely things…THE TURTLE!
I love turtles so much, especially giant ones. But I wanted to share these at a party, so I went mini with these guys. If you do want to make the traditional turtle size, just double the size of the caramel ball and add more pecans to it. Enjoy!
{ Chocolate Turtle Bites }
makes 20-25
1/2 pound medjool dates
Sea salt
About 1/3 cup whole pecans (1 pecan for each bite)
1 cup dairy-free chocolate (dark works great here)
Pit your dates and then blend with a few big pinches of sea salt in a food processor. It should form a nice ball of caramel dough as it whizzes around. If your dates are really dry, soak them in some hot water before putting them in the food processor.
After blended, roll your caramel into small balls – about the size of a blackberry. Place balls on a piece of parchment paper and add a pecan to the top of each one. Press gently to flatten and freeze for 30 minutes.
Melt your chocolate, double boiler-style (see how here). After the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and dunk your pecan balls into the chocolate to cover it. Use a fork to remove them and let the excess chocolate drip through the prongs. Place back on the parchment paper and freeze again for 15-20 minutes until chocolate is set.
Serve right from the freezer! I think they taste better chilled and the chocolate is less messy that way.
Also check out my recipes for Chocolate Covered Whatever You Got and my Spicy Ancho Chocolate Covered Tortilla Chips on Food52. I clearly love covering things with chocolate.