Dark Chocolate Caramillicans - Individual

Caramillicans are our family's take on the classic chocolate turtle candy, and the name is a play on our last name. Each piece starts with a base of fresh orchard pecans, then we pour over a thick layer of buttery handmade caramel cooked in small batches in our orchard kitchen. The whole thing gets dipped with a chocolate top to finish. The recipe was featured on the Food Network show Unwrapped. The only real difference between this version and the milk chocolate version is the chocolate coating itself. Dark chocolate brings a richer, less sweet flavor with a slight cocoa bitterness that balances the caramel and pecan more than milk chocolate does.

Our dark chocolate is real dark chocolate, but it is balanced for confectionery work rather than the harsh extra-dark percentages you see in pure baking bars. The result is a coating that tastes like dark chocolate clearly, with that cocoa depth and slightly less sugar, while still letting the buttery caramel and the toasty pecan come through underneath. Folks who normally find milk chocolate too sweet often gravitate to the dark version for exactly this reason. The three layers each get to be themselves rather than getting overwhelmed by sugar.

Yes, every Dark Chocolate Caramillican is individually wrapped, which makes it easy to drop in a lunchbox, share around the office, or set out in a candy dish. Stored in a cool, dry spot, they hold their flavor and texture beautifully for several weeks. Keep in mind that the chocolate will melt when exposed to temperatures above 80°F. If your kitchen runs warm during the summer, pop the wrapped pieces into the refrigerator or even the freezer with no harm done. Just let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before unwrapping so the chocolate softens back to its proper silky bite and the caramel returns to its chewy texture.

It depends on what you want them for. The single treat option is perfect if you want to taste one before committing, fill out a custom care package with multiple flavors, or include them in a build-your-own gift basket. The tray of six is the better pick when you want a small grouping for yourself, a thoughtful card-and-candy combination, or a more substantial taste sample. If you decide you love them, we also offer a full presentation gift box of Dark Chocolate Caramillicans with a higher piece count and a decorative box.

Our Dark Chocolate Caramillicans are gluten free, which makes them a welcome treat for friends and family avoiding wheat. They contain dairy in the caramel and milk traces in the chocolate, so they are not appropriate for someone with a dairy allergy. They obviously contain pecans, so they are not the right pick for a pecan tree nut allergy either. We work in our pecan-only facility here in San Saba, which means no peanuts or other tree nuts share the production space. If you have a serious allergen concern, give our country store a call and we will walk you through how a particular batch is made.