Monster Chocolate Cashew Turtles

dojemi's Note:

A new twist on an old favorite.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 12 turtles

• 8 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 12 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces sugar
• 2 ounces water
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 6 ounces cashews , dry roasted, salted
• 16 ounces dark semisweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Heat the first heavy cream in a small sauce pan.
2. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
3. Place chocolate chips in a stainless steel bowl.
4. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula.
5. Place paper muffin cups into a muffin pan. Pour ganache into paper cups ¼ inch thick.
6. Top with toasted cashews and cool in freezer.
7. For the caramel:.
8. Heat the second cream in a small pan up to the boil.
9. Shut off heat and keep warm.
10. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar water and lemon juice and cook to a medium caramel color. Be extremely careful -- this will be 'very hot'.
11. Remove from heat and carefully add the hot heavy cream.
12. Stir until a smooth caramel.
13. Caution, use a cooking vessel much larger than necessary because the hot caramel will boil up and could splatter.
14. Allow to cool to a honey like thickness.
15. Spoon the caramel on top of the cashews. Place back in freezer for 15 minutes.
16. Remove paper cups and place turtles on a wire rack.
17. Melt dark chocolate and spoon over turtles.