Homemade Turtle Candy

Give a small box of these as a host or holiday gift and you will be very popular.

Ingredients

• 96 pecan halves
• 10 ounces dark chocolate, I used a bag of Nestle Dark Chocolate Morsels
• 11 ounce bag of Kraft Caramels, unwrapped (the soft kind)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp evaporated milk

Instructions

• Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Put the pecans on an unlined baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Heat 1/2 the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Microwave a further 15-30 seconds and stir again until melted and smooth.
• Drop small amounts of chocolate onto the prepared baking sheets and spread with your spoon to the size of quarters. Top with 4 pecan halves to form the turtle legs. (See photos)
• You can proceed to the next step immediately or put the tray in the freezer to firm up for 5 minutes.
• Melt the caramels, butter, and milk in the microwave. Start at one minute, stir, and if necessary heat in 15 seconds increments until smooth. I like to let the caramel cool a little to thicken up before proceeding.
• Add a small (about 1/2 tsp) dollop of caramel to the top of each turtle.
• Again, put the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Melt the remaining chocolate and add a small amount to the top of each turtle, spreading it around to cover the caramel. I like to give the chocolate a little swirl flourish as I lift up my spoon. Put the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• The turtles can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. These will freeze well for longer storage (put them in a heavy duty zip lock freezer bag.)

Variations on these turtle candies ~

• Use any chocolate you like, including milk or white.

• Garnish with crushed pecans or sea salt while the final chocolate topping is still wet.

• Use your favorite spiced pecans for a unique touch.

FROM;

the view from great island

Brown Sugar Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 to 3 cups shelled raw peanuts

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preparation: Butter a baking pan or cookie sheet (with sides) ; set aside.

In a large heavy sauce pan (at least 3-quart size), combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.

Cook over medium high heat until all the sugar is dissolved.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes just to a full boil.

Stir in the butter.

Continue to cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 230 degrees F. Once it has reached this temperature a thread should form when the spoon is dipped into the mixture and lifted up.

Cook and stir until you reach 280 degrees F, or the soft crack stage.

(If you don’t have a candy thermometer, place a small drop of the mixture into a bowl with room temperature water, the mixture should be make a firm ball that is slightly crunchy).

When you have reached 290 degrees F, add the peanuts (all at once) and stir in.

Continue to stir constantly until you reach 300 degrees F, or the hard crack stage (a small amount of the mixture will make a hard ball when dropped into the water).

I was taught to keep on stirring until you hear the peanuts begin to “pop”, and then remove the pot from the heat.

Stir in the baking soda, and mix well. It is going to “foam” up, which is what gives you light, airy brittle. Stir it well, but don’t stir it all the way flat, unless you really want flat hard crunchy brittle.

Pour the candy onto a buttered cookie sheet. Tilt, shake and “shimmy” the candy until is has spread out as far as possible on the pan.

Allow to cool until it is room temperature, then lift the pan up and drop it onto the table (at least that is how I do it, you can crack it into pieces with the back of a heavy knife, or even with your hands if you wish.)

You now have about 2 pounds of wonderful, crunchy peanut brittle! So enjoy!

Whole Turkey Know-How

At Harter House Supermarkets, we're gearing up for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We're ready to assist you in any way we possibly can!

How did turkey become part of Thanksgiving?Availability probably dictated menu choice. At the time the Pilgrims first celebrated Thanksgiving, turkey was a dietary mainstay. In fact, they ate so much turkey that it probably wasn’t much of a treat. Turkey meat from wild and domesticated birds was also a staple in the diet of many Indian tribes.

Fresh or Frozen?

First things first: You need to know what to buy. If you’re shopping just a few days prior to your dinner, Harter House Supermarket recommends buying a FRESH TURKEY. Fresh always tastes best! We advise cooking a fresh bird within three days of purchase. Also, ordering ahead guarantees availability.

If you buy a frozen bird remember that thawing it in the refrigerator will take a few days. If you’re entertaining a small group, consider serving a turkey breast instead of a whole bird.

Buying the Right Size Whole Turkey

The general rule of thumb is to plan on at least one pound (uncooked) per person; however it is often recommended buying 2 pounds or more per person. That may sound excessive, but everyone loves turkey. This way, you’re assured of generous second helpings all around, plus enough left over for savory second-day dishes.

2-4 People - 8-12 lb.

5-7 People - 12-16 lb.

8-10 People - 16-20 lb.

11-13 People - 20-24 lb.

Thawing a Frozen Bird

Leave the turkey in its original wrapping and place it on a tray in your refrigerator. Allow five hours of defrosting time per pound. For example, a 14–19 lb. turkey will need 3–4 days to thoroughly defrost. If your turkey hasn’t completely thawed by the time you’re ready to cook it, place it under cold, running water to accelerate the thawing process.

Suggested Refrigerator Thawing Times for Whole, Frozen Turkey

8-12 lb. - 1-2 Days

12-16 lb. - 2-3 Days

16-20 lb. - 3-4 Days

20-24 lb. - 4-5 Days

If you need to quick-thaw your turkey, leave it in its original wrapping and place it in COLD water. The water must be changed every 30 minutes. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound using this method.

Suggested Cold-Water Thawing Times for Whole, Frozen Turkey

8-12 lb. - 4-6 Hours

12-16 lb. - 6-8 Hours

16-20 lb. - 8-10 Hours

20-24 lb. - 10-12 Hours

Foolproof Cooking

Check the roasting guide below and preheat your oven to 325° F. Release the legs from the metal clamp. The neck and giblets should be removed from the body and neck cavities. Rinse the turkey both inside and out with cool water and pat it dry with paper towels.

Now you’re ready to season or stuff your bird. When you’re finished, put the legs back into the hock lock and tuck the tips of the wings under the back of the turkey.

Place the turkey, breast side up, in a shallow (2-inch-deep) roasting pan. Brush the turkey with vegetable oil, melted butter or margarine to prevent drying of skin. Some turkeys are self-basting, so you don’t need to worry about that task.

Before placing your turkey in the oven, loosely shield the breast with a tent-shaped piece of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. You’ll want to remove the shield 1 1/2 hours before the bird is done so it can turn a golden brown. Roast the turkey until the timer pops up or your meat thermometer registers 185° F in the thigh or 170° F in the breast.

When a whole turkey is done, the leg joint moves freely when the drumstick is rotated, and the juices run clear when a knife is inserted into the deepest part of the leg joint. The turkey needs to cook longer if you see any tinge of pink in the juices.

When your turkey is done, move it to a warmed platter, cover it loosely and let it stand for 15–20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to settle and makes slicing easier. Use the following timetable to approximate the roasting time for your fresh or thawed whole turkey.

Roasting Time Chart
Recommended Whole-turkey Roasting Times - (Fresh or Thawed) at 325° F

Weight---------Unstuffed------Stuffed

8-12 lb......2¾-3 Hours......3–3½ Hours

12-14 lb.....3-3¾ Hours......3½-4 Hours

14-18 lb.....3¾-4¼ Hours.....4–4½ Hours

18-20 lb.....4¼- 4½ Hours....4¼-4¾ Hours

20-24 lb.....4½-5 Hours......4¾-5¼ Hours

Cook stuffing to an internal (center of stuffing) temperature of 165°F.

Enjoy!

Harter House Supermarkets wishes you and yours a safe and Happy Holiday.

Carving The Turkey

Turkey is the main attraction of the Thanksgiving Table. While you may serve a whole roasted turkey as a centerpiece of the table, sliced meat and carved turkey are easier to serve. Here are some tips on how to carve your Harter House turkey for Thanksgiving:

Equipments You May Need:

Warm serving platter

Pair of kitchen scissors

Flexible and sharp 10-inch slicing knife

Carving fork for arranging and serving the meat

Method:

Let the turkey cool for about 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.

Put the turkey on a carving board using paper towels.

Cut through the trussing with scissors and remove all the string.

Remove the drumsticks by placing the knife against the thigh and cut down to the leg's second joint, where you apply the pressure with the knifepoint and twist it to sever the drumstick.

Make an oval incision in the neck cavity and remove the stuffing, taking care to leave the skin intact.

Transfer the scooped out stuffing into a serving bowl using a long-handled spoon.

Slice the thigh meat from the bone.

Cut carefully while placing the knife horizontally at the bottom curve of the bird's breast and slice in towards the rib cage from the top down.

Cut vertically through the breast meat while carefully preserving some of the skin on each slice.

Severe the wings from the first wing joint.

Arrange the carved turkey on the serving platter by placing the breast-meat slices in rows along both sides of the platter, the slices of thigh meat in the center, the drumsticks crossed at one end and the wings on top, facing each other with the skin side up.

Thanksgiving Trivia

Here are some interesting facts about Thanksgiving that each of us should know about:

The first Thanksgiving celebration can be traced back to the Plymouth Pilgrims in the fall of 1621.

The first Thanksgiving feast was held to thank the Lord for sparing the lives of the survivors of the Mayflower, who landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. The survivors included four adult women and almost forty percent children.

The Wampanoag chief Massasoit and ninety of his tribesmen were also invited to the first thanksgiving feast. Governor William Bradford invited them for helping the Pilgrims surviving and teaching them the skills of cultivating the land.

The celebration in 1621 lasted for three days and included games and food.

The president to proclaim the first 'National Day of Thanksgiving' in 1789 was George Washington.

Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, campaigned to make Thanksgiving a National Holiday in 1827 and succeeded.

Abraham Lincoln announced Thanksgiving to be a national holiday in his proclamation on October 3, 1863.

The 'wishbone' of the turkey is used in a good luck ritual on Thanksgiving Day.

Puritans of Mayflower used to drink Beer. (My husband liked this fact!)