To Dip or Not To Dip

I Love Caramel.  Unfortunately, now that I make it at home, I only like it homemade.  Maybe not so unfortunately, calorie wise, but I digress.  The caramel below has two options - dipping or no dipping.  If you dip them in chocolate, they taste very much like Turtle Candy.  They are excellent naked, too.  You decide - let me know what you think is better.

  1 Cup Butter, No Substitutes                                          14 Ounce Sweetened Condensed Milk

  2 1/4 Cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed                           1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

  Dash salt                                                                      3/4 Cup Pecans, Coarsely Chopped

  1 Cup Light Corn Syrup                                                 3/4 Cups Sweetened Coconut

                                                                                                 

Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.  Melt butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat; stir in brown sugar and salt. Stir in corn syrup. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly until combined. Using a candy thermometer, cook to 248 degrees F (about 25 minutes), swirling occasionally (the mixture will be very bubbly). Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla,  nuts and coconut. Immediately pour into prepared pan.

Let candy cool completely before cutting into 1-inch squares.  You now have a choice:

1.  Refrigerate the candy overnight and dip in chocolate. allow the chocolate can harden.  Wrap as in option two.

OR

2.  Wrap each square in waxed paper or cellophane candy sheets and store in an airtight container at room temperature.