Six-Minute Chewy Caramels- Almost Turtles

Pinterest is all a flutter with microwave-cooked caramel recipes. When I think of chewy, gooey caramel I think of turtles, nothing is better with caramel than crunchy pecans. So I thought I'd give this caramel a chance, and whipped out some molds to experiment with. Here's what you'll need to make the caramel:

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C FIRMLY packed brown sugar
• 1/2 C light corn syrup
• 1/2 C sweetened condensed milk (NOT a whole can! ;-) )
• 1/4 C (half a stick) real butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla

 You'll also want a microwaveable bowl (I suggest glass, this mixture gets HOT.) You'll want it to hold at least 2 qts because the caramel will bubble up a lot. A silicone spatula is handy for stirring because it handles heat well, scrapes well, and cleans off easily. If making "Almost Turtles", you'll also need some finely chopped pecans, and chocolate to dip if you wish. (I did some with and without chocolate.)

You may pour the mixture into a prepared pan, then cut when set- or you may want to use molds. Either way you'll need to prepare your pan or molds a head of time with some non-stick spray. (Lining a pan with foil may also be helpful as well.) I also tried to put some pecans IN my molds first, but the caramel surrounded them- nice for having them in the middle- but you'll need to press some on top if you want them to look that way.)

Now, you can get your mixture cooking without being too distracted. Just dump everything in a bowl and mix.

Pop in your microwave and cook on high power for six to seven minutes, depending on your microwaves power. Stir every two or three minutes. You'll know when it's done when it is homogeneous and no longer grainy. And, well, caramel-y. =-)

Let sit for several minutes before pouring into your mold(s). You may want some toothpicks on hand to pop the little bubbles.

Let set in the fridge or freezer until set, then cut or unmold.

You can now cover some, or all, or dip, some in chocolate!

Wrap each piece in waxed paper to store. These are gooey!