Chocolate Turtle Martinis with Pecan and Caramel

Welcome to the second installment of Spring Sips! I’m posting a new cocktail recipe every Tuesday this month. Today’s choice is a fun one: it’s sweet, and strong, and definitely a treat. It’s based on an old-fashioned candy, and uses some fun ingredients like homemade pecan simple syrup and caramel. Get ready for these Chocolate Turtle Martinis!

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What You Need to Get Started

• From the Bar: Bourbon (I like Maker’s Mark), Cask & Crew Walnut Toffee Whiskey*, Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Chocolate Bitters
• Pantry: Pecans, Sugar
• Fridge: Heavy cream, Butter, Egg white
• Spice Cabinet: Cinnamon sticks, Whole cloves, Salt
• Equipment: Saucepans, Silicone spatulas, Mesh strainer, Measuring shot glass, Cocktail shaker, Egg separator, Martini glasses, Mason jars, Demitasse spoons, Instant-read thermometer, Marble rolling pin

*Cask & Crew may have limited distribution. If you are not able to get this specific brand, you can replace with a caramel whiskey of your choice.

Let’s Make Pecan Simple Syrup & Caramel

If you are making both of these from scratch, you can prepare them a few days in advance, and store in the fridge. If you want to make this recipe easier, I suggest using a store-bought caramel, and still making the infused simple syrup.

Start by combining water and sugar in a small saucepan. You’ll heat it slowly, over medium low, stirring until the sugar dissolves and it becomes clear. If you stopped here, you’d have basic simple syrup.

To add some extra flavor, you will add in the cinnamon stick, cloves, and chopped pecans. Bring the whole mixture to a boil, and then turn off the heat. Let those flavors infuse for at least an hour in the pot.

Once it’s ready, pour the mixture through a mesh strainer twice, and then store in a mason jar in the fridge. You can use it immediately or store for up to a week. I like to add it to my coffee in the morning for a little something fun.

Don’t toss those pecans you just strained out either! Remove the cinnamon and cloves, and then spread the nuts on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven at the lowest setting for a few hours, just to dry them out. When they are done, you’ll have yummy sugar roasted nuts to use as a garnish and snack on!

While the syrup is resting, you can make the caramel. If you’ve never made caramel from scratch before, you will definitely want to use a thermometer. I’ve made it many times, and I still burn it when I try to go by color!

In a medium saucepan, spread out the sugar and then coat with the water so there are no dry spots. You start heating it slowly, so the sugar can dissolve. Then as it starts to cook longer, you’ll see the color start to change. This is when you need the thermometer. Check the temperature regularly, but it should be about 7-10 minutes before it hits 325F. Then turn off the heat.

Next, you’ll add in heavy cream. This can splatter and seize up, but it’s okay. Just be careful when adding it, since caramel is very hot. If you ever get molten sugar or caramel on your fingers while cooking it, don’t put your finger in your mouth! It’s a quick way to get some really bad burns.

Add in the butter, and stir everything until it’s smooth and the butter is melted. You may need to turn the heat back on low to help the butter melt, especially if you use a gas stove that cools quickly. Once combined, stir in the salt and pour into a mason jar.

Let the caramel cool to room temperature before sealing the jar and putting it in the fridge. You can store this for about a week, and use the extra as ice cream topping or just eat it with a spoon.

How to Make Chocolate Turtle Martinis

Before you mix up the cocktails, you’ll need to rim the glasses. For these, we are using the caramel and dried nuts from the simple syrup. Take some of the dried nuts and place in a plastic bag. Use a heavy marble rolling pin to crush these and then spread them on a saucer.

If the caramel has been in the fridge, you’ll need to soften it in the microwave. Then spread it on the rims of two martini glasses. Dip the glasses with the warm caramel into the nuts, and turn the glass to make them stick. Use your fingers to press in any nuts that are jumping off. The caramel will solidify slightly as it cools, and hold them in place.

To make the cocktails, you’ll notice there’s a raw egg white in this recipe. While it’s mostly considered safe to use these in drinks, I totally understand if you’d want to skip it. The egg white helps make the drink frothy and smooth, but doesn’t change the flavor.

In your cocktail shaker, combine all the alcohol, the egg white, and simple syrup together. Shake it without ice first. This is called dry shaking, and it helps the egg to froth up and combine with the other ingredients. If you’re not using the egg, you can skip this step.

Then add ice to the shaker, and shake it up vigorously. After about twenty seconds, the metal will start to feel almost too cold to handle, and that’s how you know it’s ready. Pour through the strainer into the glasses, and be sure to shake out every last drop.

To garnish, add a few drops of bitters to each glass. Then take a demitasse spoon, dip it in caramel and then the crushed pecans, and add to the glass. This adds a fun extra sweetness, and is a great tool for scooping the caramel off the rim. It’s an interactive drink!

How to Serve

I’m a firm believer that it’s never too early in the day for a cocktail, so you can definitely enjoy this drink as part of breakfast or brunch. It’s also great as a dessert or to complement something sweet. How versatile!

Try pairing it with bananas foster stuffed french toast, to accentuate the caramel flavor. If you’d rather focus on the nuts, try cinnamon praline stuffed challah. And for my fellow chocolate lovers, you know this would go perfectly with rocky road black bean brownies.

Use Up Leftover Ingredients

• Egg yolk: Since this recipe uses just the egg white, you’ll have a spare yolk. Use it to make a pair of mini skillet cookies!
• Bourbon: There are plenty of other cocktails that use bourbon, like an amaretto old fashioned or bourbon mint lemonade. You can also use it to make a weeknight apple crisp.
• Caramel Sauce: Eat this with a spoon, or add it to either banana boat ice cream sundaes or decaf coffee ice cream.

Special Equipment

• Saucepans
• Silicone spatulas
• Mesh strainer
• Measuring shot glass
• Cocktail shaker
• Egg separator
• Martini glasses
• Mason jars
• Demitasse spoons
• Instant-read thermometer
• Marble rolling pin