Tartaruga Acquatica, or Chocolate Pecan Turtle Cookies

These are some of my favorite cookies because my mother used to make them all the time when I was little, and they are the perfect thing to bake if you want something fast, that looks like it took a lot of effort! I made this batch for a friend's Oktoberfest party. Her Italian boyfriend asked me what the cookies were called, and I told him turtle cookies. When he didn't understand we looked up the name for turtle in Italian, which is tartaruga acquatica. He burst out laughing, and really, if you think about it, it is pretty hilarious that we call these turtles!

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup pecan halves

Caramel Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all of the crust ingredients except pecans in a large mixer bowl. Beat at a medium speed until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Place pecans evenly over unbaked crust.

Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a 1 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the entire surface of the mixture begins to boil. Let it continue to boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Pour evenly over pecans and crust.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until entire caramel layer is bubbly. Make sure you do not overbake. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and allow to melt slightly (2-3 min). Swirl chips, leaving some whole for a marbled effect.

Let cool and cut into bars. Store at room temperature in a loosely covered container.

Also, I'm sorry for being so hopeless about posting, I have been stealing pictures from my friends because my camera charger is at a friend's house and I haven't managed to get it back yet. I promise things will be back to normal soon though. And thank you all for being so encouraging about my last post. I love you guys and every single one of your comments always brightens my day a little bit.