Day #10

Mini Upside-Down Turtle Muffins
I really don't know where to start with these little gems...besides the fact that I ate 1/2 bag of caramels while making these..they are decadent! This picture doesn't do them justice! You rip one open and caramel oozes out of them....I am weak in the knees.

*This recipe calls for you to use a regular size muffin trays but I used my mini muffin tray and just cut the caramels in half. *

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 chopped pecans
24 individually wrapped Kraft caramels, unwrapped
pecan halves

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray bottom, sides and tops of 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
In heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat, stirring frequently; cool slightly. Stir in buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla and egg.
In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and chopped pecans. Stir in choc. mixture, just until combined. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Push 1 caramel into center of batter in each muffin cup.
Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted along the edge of the muffin, comes out clean. Cool 1 minute. Turn muffin pan upside-down on cookie sheet to remove muffins. Immediately place another caramel (or 1/2 of one) on bottom of each muffin. Leaving muffins upside-down on cookie sheet, return to oven about 1 minute or until caramel is soft enough to add pecan halves.
Place 3 pecans on caramel on each muffin. Cool until caramel is slightly firm before serving, about 10 minutes. Serve warm if desired.
*If these don't have you smacking your lips..there's something wrong with you! * : )