Homemade Turtle Bars

Do you love nuts?  I do! When it comes to baking, pecans are definitely my nut of choice. My oldest son has his piano recital tomorrow, and we have to bring a treat to share. I decided to make these homemade turtle bars which are extremely easy to transport and take very little time to make. With the holidays in full swing, recipes which still are homemade but take very little time to prepare are winners in my book.  Cookies are classic, but can be a time commitment. Bars are a great alternative!

I found this recipe at Taste of Home, and I’ve only made small changes. Why mess with a good thing?

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup pecan halves

TOPPING
2/3 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until well combined.

Gradually add flour and beat until mixture is crumbly.

Press into foil lined and ungreased  13-in. x 9-in. baking pan to form crust. (You can also use parchment paper or skip this step. The foil just allows for easier cutting later.)

Add pecans over crust, arranging them so they don’t overlap.

To create topping, melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Pour butter mixture over pecans.

Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until bubbly. Transfer to wire rack.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Allow to cool in pan a few minutes to melt. (If you are in a hurry, you can return the pan to the warm oven for a bit.)  Spread melted chocolate chips over top to create chocolate layer.

Cool completely.

Remove from pan, pulling up sides of aluminum foil.

Cut into squares.

(Original recipe yields about 96 bars, but I cut mine bigger and got half that amount.)

I used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips, but any chocolate chip would work just fine for the topping.

Because I used aluminum foil, I was able to lift these bars out before cutting.  I love how easy these bars are to cut, once they’ve have a chance to cool.

These pecan treats are a bit on the sweet side, so a single pan can go far!  They  also make a great addition to any holiday treat tray or to give as gifts.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays and find some time to get into the kitchen and bake something delicious for your family!