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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Cranberry Turtle Bars

[heart_this] · Oct 25, 2010 · 39 Comments

Cranberry Turtle Bars

Shortbread bars covered in a cranberry caramel and drizzled with chocolate.

I am a huge fan of chocolate turtles! It is really difficult to resist those tiny turtles made with caramel and pecans all wrapped up in chocolate and during the holidays I often go through a few boxes of them. When I came across this recipe for cranberry turtle bars on No Fear Entertaining last year I knew that I would have to make them! You really can’t go wrong with buttery shortbread topped with caramel, pecans and chocolate and I was really intrigued by the idea of throwing those tart little cranberries into the mix as well. Unfortunately I misplaced the bookmark and did not end up finding it until there were no cranberries left and I have been patiently awaiting their return. Now that the cranberries are back I finally got the chance to make them and they were well worth the wait!
This recipe can seem a little intimidating given that it includes making a caramel sauce but if you have a candy thermometer it is actually quite easy. I was really looking forward to trying this recipe out because of the caramel sauce and the way that the fresh cranberries are thrown right into the caramel as it cooks. Up until now I had only tried adding simple things like vanilla extract or salt to caramel and I was interested to see how the fresh cranberries would work.
The cranberry turtle bars turned out even better than I had hoped for! The shortbread was nice and light and buttery and good! The cranberry caramel sauce was definitely the star of the show however with its amazing crimson colour. I was really pleased with the way the cranberries flavour and colour infused the caramel sauce and it had the perfect consistency being neither too runny nor too chewy. Of course the pecans and chocolate finished everything off nicely! I did not think that you could improve of chocolate turtles but adding cranberries to the mix did just that! With the success of adding cranberries to a caramel sauce I am now thinking about what else can be added to caramel!

Cranberry Turtle Bars

Cranberry Turtle Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 12

Shortbread bars covered in a cranberry caramel and drizzled with chocolate.

ingredients
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
directions
  1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend.
  2. Add the butter and process until it forms pea sized lumps.
  3. Sprinkle the mixture into a 10×15 inch baking pan that has been lined with foil and greased, and press the mixture down.
  4. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until golden brown, about 15-17 minutes then set aside to cool.
  5. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  6. Mix in the sugar, corn syrup and salt and bring to a boil.
  7. Simmer until the mixture turns a nice golden amber in colour and reaches 245F on a candy thermometer.
  8. Mix in the cranberries and return to 245F.
  9. Remove from heat and mix in the vanilla and pecans.
  10. Quickly spread the mixture over the shortbread and the let it cool completely.
  11. Melt the chocolate, place it in a small plastic bag, cut a small piece out of the corner and pipe the chocolate onto the bars.
Similar Recipes:
Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Turtle Bread
Meyer Lemon Bars
Blueberry Caramel Sauce
Cranberry Bliss Bars

Bars, Food, Recipe, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Catherine says

    October 26, 2010 at 12:23 am

    Oh YUM!!! I will be trying these for sure! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Katie says

    October 26, 2010 at 12:54 am

    These look amazing! I am adding this recipe to my list for Thankgiving!

    Reply
  3. Healthy Mamma says

    October 26, 2010 at 12:59 am

    What a fun Fall Treat! I've adore fresh cranberries and can't get enough of them. This looks good enough to be worth the calories. 😉

    Reply
  4. vanillasugar says

    October 26, 2010 at 1:05 am

    now this is a good way to kick up chocolate candy. love it.

    Reply
  5. Lora says

    October 26, 2010 at 1:33 am

    These are fantastic!

    Reply
  6. The Urban Baker says

    October 26, 2010 at 1:33 am

    turtle + cranberry, now that's a winning combo! Plus…it's made in a large jelly roll pan. oh how I love feeding a crowd!

    Reply
  7. Velva says

    October 26, 2010 at 1:43 am

    I have never been able to resist those tiny turtles. No doubt, that I would not be able to resist these cranberry turtles. Very nice.

    Reply
  8. Laura Keller says

    October 26, 2010 at 2:02 am

    These look delicious! I love that they're made with fresh cranberries and a homemade caramel sauce… Can't wait to try these soon!

    Reply
  9. Carla says

    October 26, 2010 at 2:40 am

    Oh my, these do look yummy. I will be making these for the holidays. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. matt gordon says

    October 26, 2010 at 2:43 am

    this is an excellent recipe to try in this autumn weather. do you have a photo studio setup at your place? the pictures are first rate.

    Reply
  11. the blissful baker says

    October 26, 2010 at 2:46 am

    these are so unique, and they look scrumptious! i love the bright color the cranberries give these bars. lovely!

    Reply
  12. Nina Timm says

    October 26, 2010 at 3:23 am

    Kevin, why oh why are you torturing me so!!! Love turtle bars!!!

    Reply
  13. Ravenous Rowie says

    October 26, 2010 at 3:37 am

    Those bars look so amazingly good! A nice Fall treat!

    Reply
  14. 愛 - ちゃん says

    October 26, 2010 at 4:27 am

    That looks good 🙂 I always wanted to prepare something with cranberry. This seems like a good idea!

    Reply
  15. jose manuel says

    October 26, 2010 at 6:29 am

    Que aspecto tan terroficamente rico, excelente.

    Saludos

    Reply
  16. Marisa says

    October 26, 2010 at 6:59 am

    Looks wonderfully festive! With a batch of these to hand I'll be ready for Christmas, that's for sure.

    Reply
  17. LimeCake says

    October 26, 2010 at 10:13 am

    i don't think i've ever had a turtle bar. these look delicious!

    Reply
  18. Joanne says

    October 26, 2010 at 10:18 am

    I love chocolate turtles as well, but cranberry sounds even better!

    Reply
  19. Sophie says

    October 26, 2010 at 12:03 pm

    Waw!! You take these bars to a whole other level!! they look amazing & must be great as food gifts too!

    Reply
  20. Moon Cat says

    October 26, 2010 at 12:51 pm

    Oh my gosh, these look heavenly! I think they will make a great fall dessert. Thanks for sharing, Kevin!

    Reply
  21. Mo Diva says

    October 26, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Im a big fan!

    those look wonderful. Im intimidated by them tho lol. I will gladly devour them though

    Reply
  22. [email protected] says

    October 26, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    So glad you tried the recipe! It was one of my favorites from last year. I probably made it a dozen times to giveaway as well!!!

    Reply
  23. Juds2U says

    October 26, 2010 at 3:56 pm

    As much as the yummy recipe, I love the bubbly food babbling that accompanies it! You indulge your long-time hobby with the excitement and freshness of a newbie! We should all strive to keep our passions fresh!!

    Reply
  24. jenny says

    October 26, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    This looks so good! I would love to try to adapt it to lose the gluten. Any ideas?

    Reply
  25. RamblingTart says

    October 26, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    Wow, Kevin, these take one of my favorite things right over the top! I love the bright colors and oh, the taste must be exquisite. 🙂

    Reply
  26. mindy says

    October 27, 2010 at 12:50 am

    These sound so good. I have an obsession with Turtles so these are right up my alley.

    Reply
  27. baby cribs says

    October 27, 2010 at 1:36 am

    This is a must try! I would love to make some for the Halloween for the kids!

    Reply
  28. Kevin says

    October 29, 2010 at 10:39 am

    matt gordon: I am currently using a single off camera flash that is mounted on a stand with an umbrella.

    jenny: The flour in the short bread should be all that you need to replace to make this gluten free. A gluten free flour such as rice flour should do the trick.

    Reply
  29. Nicisme says

    October 29, 2010 at 9:46 pm

    What a beautiful and colourful post. These turtle bars look fabulous, I must give them a go.

    Reply
  30. be_beam says

    October 31, 2010 at 4:42 am

    I love a turtle bar.But these look so.ooo delicious!

    Reply
  31. The Urban Baker says

    November 2, 2010 at 4:08 am

    I made these for an open house and EVERYONE went crazy. These are crazy. It's candy on steroids!!!

    Reply
  32. Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says

    November 7, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    These look amazing! Just need to find some cranberries 🙁

    Reply
  33. Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says

    November 8, 2010 at 7:59 am

    Oh these look delicious. If only I could find some cranberries here 🙁

    Reply
  34. Anonymous says

    November 3, 2011 at 12:07 am

    these look epic

    Reply
  35. Jill's Comfort Zone says

    December 17, 2011 at 8:19 pm

    This sounds really Yummy!!!

    Reply
  36. Deanna says

    September 23, 2012 at 1:43 am

    This looks amazing! I'm throwing a festive fall party next month, and these might have to be on the menu 🙂

    Reply
  37. Anonymous says

    December 3, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    Can these be frozen? How long do they keep for gift giving purposes?

    Reply
  38. Kevin says

    December 8, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    Anonymous: Yes these can be frozen, otherwise they should keep for at least 3-4 weeks. Enjoy!

    Reply
  39. Perseverance says

    October 22, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    Your site and recipes are amazing! These squares are for this week-end and now I am scanning your site for Hor's d'oeuvres for Christmas time. I love the artichoke dip on bread idea.

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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