Heartland Turtle Bars

I just had to throw in a dessert, you know.  It’s Saturday, right?  Time for some R & R.

Take these turtle bars, for instance.  Over the holidays, I spent a lot of time checking out my local library.  It’s not very often that I have time off of work-especially the opportunity to feel completely free of my duties as chief resident.  And with my board exams looming in the next few months, it’s even MORE rare that I have the chance to pick up a book for the sheer joy of reading.  No textbooks, no journal articles, no board review books.  Nope.  Over the holidays, I made a pact with myself that I would take a true break from the hustle and bustle of the job and focus on taking good care of myself.

Now, there is a fine line between “taking good care of yourself” and enjoying the rare opportunity of having an open kitchen for an entire day (with natural lighting, no rush, and a seemingly endless amount of time).  And what I mean by enjoying the rare opportunity of having an open kitchen means trying the dessert recipes I have been longing to try without any reservations or guilt.  And, I am not going to lie.  I definitely have noticed (since the holidays) a little tightening of my waist line and a more ready inclination to eat some chocolate ice cream at night, but, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right?  And, I achieved some major goals over the break: namely, these turtle bars.

This cookbook was one of the books that I had drooled over at Borders for the past few months, and I was delighted when my local library got it as a new book.  So, I checked it out, free of charge, and perused the pages one morning over coffee.  I’m not kidding…every single recipe I saw in the book was one that I could see myself making.  Ranging from super simple (like this one) to a little more challenging, the recipes are especially drool-worthy.  Even though I had to return the book (new books only are 14 day borrows…no renewing…because I tried….), I got this specific recipe out of the way before I had to give it back.

Buttery, sweet, and chocolatey?  Ummm, yes, please.  These are phenomenal, friends.  Just look.  No words. 🙂

Heartland Turtle Bars

Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

For the bar topping and base:

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 and 3/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped into large pieces

1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips

For the caramel filling:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

10 tablespoons ( 1 and 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

1.  For the bar topping and base: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light colored metal baking pan.

3.  Line the pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs the pan on two sides.

4.  Butter the parchment.

5.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

6. Use your hands to rub in the brown sugar.

7. Add the oats and stir until the ingredients are evenly combined.

8.  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.

9. Spread two-thirds of the mixture across the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

10.  Remove the pan from the oven to cool (but leave the oven on).

11.  Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate chips across the cooled crust.

12. For the caramel filling: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar and butter together.

13.  Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly (the caramel will begin to darken at this point).

14.  Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cream, and pour the caramel directly over the chocolate pecan layer.

15.  Use an offset spatula to evenly distribute the caramel.

16.  Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture onto the caramel and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

17.  Let the bars cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour to firm up.

18.  Cut and serve.

Source:  directly from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented