I call these "Twisted Turtle Bars" because they are my spin on the classic as presented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito in their second cookbook, Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
"Turtles" have always been, are now, and will always be candies that are made from caramel, chocolate and pecans. I love them in a way that is probably unnatural for a grown man, but really what's not to love about them. They're chewy, crunchy, sweet, and salty…and oh so cute if made properly so that they resemble little turtles with the pecans forming their legs and head.
This recipe takes the concept of the turtle candy and turns it into a brownie-like bar by sandwiching the nuts, chocolate and caramel in between a sinfully good oat cookie crust. I used peanuts because I didn't have any pecans in my pantry (oh the shame….). In fact, I found so many peanuts there that a casual observer might have mistaken my stash of the lovelies for that of ex-president Jimmy Carter's….sheesh! While digging through said peanuts, I also found the remnants of a bag of flaked, unsweetened coconut that I decided to add to the bars as well just 'cause I was feeling naughty.
Such a bad boy!
As I have yet to make these bars exactly as described in the cookbook, I can't claim that these are any better or worse than the "Baked" boys' original version, but I gotta tell you that these little nuggets are totally crave-worthy. The dark sweetness of the chocolate, the salty crunch of the nuts, the smooth chew of the caramel, and the earthy goodness of the oat crust….like crack in a pan.
You're welcome.
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
for the bar topping and base:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
for the caramel filling:
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
for the bar topping and base:
- Heat the oven to 350℉. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9" X 13" glass or light colored metal baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs the pan on 2 sides. Butter the parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Use your hands to rub in the brown sugar. Add the oats and stir until the ingredients are evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the melted butter and stir until the entire mixture is wet and combined.
- Spread 2/3 of the mixture across the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven to cool (but leave the oven on). Sprinkle the peanuts and chocolate chips across the cooled crust.
for the caramel filling:
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar and butter together. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly (the caramel will darken quickly at this point). Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cream, and pour the caramel directly over the chocolate-peanut layer. Use an offset spatula to evenly distribute the caramel.
- Add the coconut to the reserved oat crust mixture and sprinkle the mix onto the caramel and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Let the bars cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for an hour to firm up. Cut and serve. The bars can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 3 days.