- Melt half (75 g) of the chocolate au bain marie.
- Using the melted chocolate, make 6 oval shapes on the baking paper. These are the bodies of the turtles.
- While the chocolate is still soft, place four whole pecan halves into each circle to serve as legs, and one for the head. You can crumble any leftover pecans and place the pieces in the empty space within the chocolate circle to provide extra support for the body.
- The chocolate needs to set before the date filling is added. This happens very quickly if you pop them in the freezer for about fifteen minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the date caramel. Mash the (pitted) dates with a fork into a sticky paste. Add the vanilla flavoring and stir. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick. You can also do this in a small blender.
- Remove the set turtles from the freezer. Spoon a layer of the date caramel onto each turtle. Place them back in the fridge.
- Melt the other half of the chocolate again in a double boiler.
- Remove the little turtles from the fridge and pour about two tablespoons of the melted chocolate over the date caramel. This forms the shell. Place them back in the freezer for a short while.
- After 10 minutes, remove the little turtles from the freezer and, using the last of the warm chocolate, drizzle a diamond pattern onto each shell.
- You can pop the little turtles into the fridge or freezer for a bit before eating them. They keep well in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for a month. They are ready to eat straight from the freezer—they turn into treats that are almost like Magnums. Enjoy!
Mash a spoonful of runny peanut butter into the date mixture for an extra flavor kick.
