At Home With The Culinary Institute Of America: Turtles Recipe

• 2 oz (1/4 cup) water
• 8 oz sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 7 oz (1/2 can; 2/3 cup) sweetened condensed milk
• 6 oz (1/2 cup) light corn syrup
• 3 oz (6 tbsp) butter, unsalted, soft
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 lb (5 cups) toasted pecan halves or 1 lb/4 cups cashews
• 1 lb (1 1/2 cups) dark chocolate, melted, tempered (either by melting in a microwave or in a double boiler)

1. Combine the water, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, condensed milk, corn syrup, and butter in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Continue stirring while cooking until the batch reaches 245u0b0F. This is a good estimation of the required temperature. When the thermometer reads 240u0b0F, begin testing the caramel's consistency using the back of a spoon and a dipping it into a bowl of ice water to cool. The cooled piece on the spoon should be firm but not hard when the caramel is properly cooked.
3. Stir in the salt.
4. Remove from the heat. Shock the saucepan in cold water, remove the vanilla pod using tongs, and set aside to allow the caramel to cool slightly.
5. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the toasted pecans on the pan in groups of 5 to resemble a turtle--its legs and head. You should be able to make 60 turtles.
6. When the caramel has cooled to a thick but fluid consistency (140u0b0 to 150u0b0F), spoon a tablespoon of the caramel onto each group of pecans to form the body of the turtle. Allow the turtles to cool completely
7. Spoon or pipe the tempered chocolate on top of the cooled caramel, leaving the pecans exposed.
8. Store in a single layer in an airtight container.

water, sugar, vanilla bean, condensed milk, light corn syrup, butter, salt, pecan, chocolate

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/at-home-with-the-culinary-institute-of-america-chocolate-turtles.html (may not work)