Upside-Down Turtle Muffins (Holiday inspiration)

 

                Serve these warm ooey-gooey muffins with a scoop of dulce de leche or vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Decadent Fudge Sauce (click here for recipe)

Makes 12 muffins

• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• One-third cup buttermilk
• One-third cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 24 milk chocolate-covered caramels, unwrapped
• 36 small pecan halves

1. Heat oven to 400F (200C) ; spray bottoms, sides and tops of 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. In 1½-quart heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring frequently ; cool slightly.
3. Stir in buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla and egg.
4. In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and chopped pecans ; stir in chocolate mixture just until combined.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups ; push 1 caramel into center of batter in each muffin cup.
6. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted ½ inch from edge of muffin comes out clean ; cool 1 minute.
7. Turn muffin pan upside down onto cookie sheet to remove muffins ; immediately place another caramel on bottom of each muffin.
8. Leaving muffin upside down on cookie sheet, return to oven about 1 minute or until caramel is soft enough to add pecan halves.
9. Place 3 pecan halves on caramel on each muffin ; cool until caramel is slightly firm before serving, about 10 minutes.

BON APPÉTIT