Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Are you whipping up a chocolate treat to celebrate? Our Diamond Culinary Ambassador, Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction, is here to share one of her favorite chocolate almond candy recipes!
Happy winter, Diamond Nut fanatics! I know many of you are craving warm summer days and suntans, but we still have a few months of chilly weather to go. In the meantime, we can look forward to a million pounds of homemade chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day. And by homemade chocolate candy, I mean dark chocolate and caramel coated almond clusters. My mouth is watering as I type it.
I’ve been making chocolate confections with Diamond Nuts for years and one of my very favorite candies to whip up are pecan turtles. You know the adorable little clusters with chocolate, caramel, and pecans? They’re absolutely fantastic and much easier to make than you think. Today I wanted to share a twist on the classic pecan turtle—complete with dark chocolate, almonds, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
The best part about this recipe is that it makes a ton. Or wait—is that a bad thing considering I have zero self control around Diamond Nuts and chocolate? Regardless, there are plenty of turtles to share with fellow candy lovers!
Servings: 30 turtles
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups Diamond of California® whole almonds
- 25 caramel squares, unwrapped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- sea salt for sprinkling
Directions
1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Arrange 30 clusters of almonds each with 1-2 inches between them. Use about 10-12 almonds per cluster.
3. Place the caramels in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Pour cream on top and microwave for 3 minutes total, stopping and stirring every 20 seconds. It’s a lot of stirring, but it’s imperative to prevent the caramels from scorching. If the caramel seems too thick after 3 minutes, stir in 1-2 more tablespoons of cream. Spoon 2 teaspoons of caramel onto the center of each cluster. Set aside as you melt the chocolate.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or use a double boiler. If using the microwave, pour chocolate into a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes, stopping and stirring every 20 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Spoon chocolate on top of each cluster, then top each with a sprinkle of sea salt.
5. Allow the chocolate to completely set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before enjoying. Store leftover turtles in the refrigerator.
What are your favorite candies using Diamond Nuts? I also love this Cinnamon Almond Toffee!