As the holidays are fast approaching, I’m always on the lookout for easy recipes that hold up well to travel. There’s little worse than knowing you have a five hour drive ahead of you with a wobbly cake on your lap, or a tray of cupcakes sliding around in the back seat. These chocolatey, chewy, crunchy Turtles bars are perfect for your next gathering (if they make it all the way there!). They’ve got something for everyone, plus they’re easy to bake, transport, and devour.

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Ingredients:

Crust:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder

Filling:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for the crust until light and fluffy. Add cocoa powder and flour, and mix until well combined. Spread mixture into the bottom of a greased, lined 9×13 pan, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the crust is baking, bring butter, sugar, corn syrup and heavy cream to a boil, stirring constantly. Let this mixture boil for about a minute, without stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in chopped pecans, and pour over the baked crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Edges will be bubbly and golden brown. Drizzle with melted chocolate, and let cool. Slice into 2-inch squares (bigger or smaller, depending on your appetite), and serve. These are also fantastic with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream.