As a kid in Michigan, I fell in love with turtles – even the big snapper that lived under my grandmother’s dock, although I gave him a wide berth. I liked to lie on my belly on the dock and watch him swim in that shallow water. His leisurely movements gave him a sense of majesty, which struck me – even though, as a child, I couldn’t identify what about that pleased me.
I especially loved the painted turtles that filled the lakes around me, and they fascinated my father as well. He went out of his way when we were driving together to drive by small ponds to turtle-spot. Every once in a while, we were rewarded with the sight of a dozen or more turtles lined up to sun on a branch or stone, having arranged themselves precisely according to size.
My father was also careful to stop whenever we saw a turtle in the road so he could move it to safety. Turtles, he said, are territorial, so we should not move them far. He taught me that when the turtles begin to move in the spring, strawberry season was just ahead.
Over the years, this turtle love has brought a number of turtle figurines into my life. Some have been gifts, while others have been carefully chosen; but a surprising number have just turned up in my path – found on a walk or a bike ride. Something in the universe is telling me that turtles and tortoises have some kind of significance for me.
These days, I extend that appreciation to the desert tortoises in our landscape. They are such peaceable creatures, stately and patient. Like the Oaxacans who used their shells as instruments, I associate them with music, and the tortoises seem to me to sing the song of the desert.
So quite naturally, pressed to make a small last-minute gift, I turned to homemade turtle candies to use some of the pecans I picked up around my neighborhood – but I wanted them to have the flavor of the desert, so I made some additions to the basic simple recipe.
A little chile powder and cinnamon stirred into the chocolate coating, plus a dusting of the chile powder over the finished candies, situates these little desert tortoises precisely in our place: the beautiful Sonoran Desert.
Toasting the pecans before making the candies heightens their flavor, so it’s worth the few moments to do so.
I like the combination of smoky-sweet-hot, so I used chipotle powder in mine, but you can use whatever chile powder you have on hand. Hotter is better in this case, because you want each tortoise to have a little heat. But if your chile powder is mild, you can increase the amount by half.
Desert Tortoises
Makes about 24 candies
Be sure to use ground chile powder, not chili powder, which has garlic, oregano and other spices in it. Choose a hot chile powder, so each candy has a gentle heat. Giving the finished candy a sprinkle of the chile powder lets the eater know what’s coming.
Ingredients
12 ounces soft caramels
6 ounces toasted pecan halves (see note below)
8 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon hot chile powder, plus additional for dusting the finished candies
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation
Lay a piece of parchment paper or lightly greased foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully arrange 4 pecan halves with their ends touching to form the four legs of each turtle. Repeat to make more turtles.
Unwrap the caramels and place them into a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each increment, until the caramels are melted and supple.
Use a candy scoop or teaspoon to spoon the caramel over the pecan pieces’ intersection, allowing the caramel to drip over the pecans onto the baking sheet and re-warming the caramel as needed. Sometimes the pecan “legs” want to move when you place the caramel on them. Use your fingers to push the legs back into place.
Place the chocolate chips into a separate measuring cup. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the chips are fully melted. Stir the chile powder and cinnamon into the chocolate.
Drizzle chocolate generously over each turtle. Dust the finished tortoises with a scant sprinkling of the chile powder. Refrigerate until the candies are set.
Note: To toast the pecans, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the pecan halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before proceeding with the recipe.
