Double Chocolate Caramel Turtle Treats

Recently, Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe posted some recipes for kicked up rice krispy treats she found in the recent issue of Cook's Country. She made the Crispy Chocolate Cherry Treats but included the recipe for the Fluffer-Nutter Treats and the Double Chocolate Caramel Turtle Treats. The turtle treat version was calling my name. I also have on abundance of rice krispies in my pantry. I will be trying the other versions soon, so when I try them I'll post them. How can you lose with any rice krispy recipe? I did leave out the pecans, then once the mixture was in the pan, I sprinkle some pecan on top of part of mixture in the pan. I'm the only one who would like the pecans.



Double Chocolate Caramel Turtle Treats

3 tablespoons butter
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or off-brand works fantastic, too)
15 soft caramel candies, quartered
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Prepare pan by lining an 11X7-inch baking dish with foil, allowing excess foil to hang over pan edges. If you want the treats thinner, use a 9X13 - for thicker treats still, use an 8X8-inch pan. Grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, semisweet chips, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Off heat, stir in rice krispies, caramels, and pecans until incorporated. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press into bottom and corners with a greased spatula. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Melt semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave on low at 30 second intervals until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a ziploc baggie, pressing chocolate into one corner of the bag. Using scissors, clip a tiny piece off the corner and drizzle chocolate over cooled treats. Allow chocolate to cool, about 45 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift treats from pan. Cut into squares. Serve.