caramel, pecans, and chocolate

[peter rabbit]

Morning, I tried making a "turtle" bark. I had a bottom layer of roasted peacans, then layered "Peter's" block caramel, and had a final layer of semi sweet tempered chocolate. It had a great taste and I was able to cut the confection into one inch squares. But the following day the squares lost their shape. Although the taste was still great. I don't want to make the traditional "turtle" but wanted to try and make a bark with the same ingredients then cut it into smaller bite size squares. Question: anyone have a bark receipe with this ingredients OR have an idea how to keep the shape of the squares once they are cut? Maybe I had to heavy of a hand with the caramel? Ideas?

[highchef]

Hmm, maybe thats why turtles are shaped like that? They tend to spread? Are you looking for the crisp squareness of a piece of chocolate? I think you're going to have to lose the Peters, and make your own and bring it up a bit harder before you add the cream. Peters and merkers tend to be soft, you need a stiffer caramel.

[RobertM]

You definitely need a stand-up caramel for that - you may also have to totally enrobe the piece so that the caramel won't flow as easily.

[Lisa Shock]

Traditional turtles rely on the chocolate creating a shell that retains the shape of the caramel. You need something closer to nougatine if the side edges will be exposed. Also, don't forget that sugar candies are sensitive to humidity.

[HungryC]

A local confectioner, Southern Candymakers, makes a killer turtle (tortue) that's not totally enrobed. A deep bed of broken pecan pieces fills a sheet pan, then blobs of caramel are spooned at intervals atop the pecans. When the caramel has cooled/set up, a dollop of chocolate goes atop the caramel, and once set, the individual candy is lifted off the pecan bed. So it's more of a layered turtle with a base of pecans. See it here.

[peter rabbit]

Okay, this makes sense to me. Does anyone have a "stiff" caramel receipe I can make that might hold up to the task?

Otherwise, I can do the traditional form. Thanks for all the input!!