WHITE CHOCOLATE, ALMOND, AND ORANGE TURTLES

White Chocolate, Almond, and Orange Turtles image

Provided by Emeril Lagasse

Categories dessert

Time 1h50m

Yield 30 turtles

Number Of Ingredients 9

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4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing baking sheets
3/4 cup toasted almond slivers
1/4 cup finely diced candied orange peel
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 pound good-quality white chocolate, chopped (*do not use white chocolate chips)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (recommended: Crisco)

Steps:

Generously butter 2 baking sheets.
On the baking sheets, arrange the almond slivers in star-like clusters so that they can represent the head and legs of a turtle. Be sure to leave about 2 inches of space between the clusters. Sprinkle a generous 1/4 teaspoon of the diced orange peel over the almonds.
In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk, the corn syrup, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk and the 4 tablespoons of butter, and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches the softball stage, 240 degrees F. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat. Let cool to 200 degrees F.
Using a tablespoon, spoon caramel on top of each nut cluster and let harden. (If the caramel becomes too stiff to pour, return to low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until it returns to the proper consistency.)
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the tempered chocolate over each cluster. Set aside in a cool place to harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, with waxed paper separating the layers to prevent sticking.