Pecan Caramel Candies Recipes

PECAN CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with foil; grease the foil with butter. Set aside. , In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until smooth and blended, about 10 minutes. Stir in milk and remaining cream. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), about 25 minutes. , Remove from the heat; stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool. Using foil, lift candy out of pan; cut into 1-in. squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper.

PECAN CARMEL CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Place caramels, butter, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in pecans.
• Drop caramel pecan mixture by spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Dip each caramel cluster into chocolate using a fondue fork until coated; place on parchment paper to dry. Chill until firm, if necessary.

PECAN CARAMEL CANDIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Place pretzels 1 in. apart on foil-lined baking sheets. Top each with a Rolo candy., Bake 3-4 minutes or until candies are softened. (Rolos will still retain their shape.) Immediately top with pecans, pressing to spread candy into pretzel. Let stand until set.

CARAMEL PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• Pour pecan halves into greased 9x13" pan and place into oven for 5 minutes.
• Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup and cook until sugar is dissolved (this takes at least 3-4 minutes).
• Remove pecans from oven and pour into saucepan/caramel mixture.
• Stir to coat and pour back into 9x13" pan.
• Place back into oven for 45-60 minutes stirring every 15 minutes or so.
• Remove pan and spread pecans onto parchment paper or silpat (I've used wax paper but it sticks at times-if it does put in fridge and remove when cold).
• Separate pecans as they cool (2 forks work well).
• I often HALF this because I can't keep out of them!

PECAN CARAMELS ("GLORIAS")

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the condensed milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns to a light caramel color (240 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and incorporate the pecans. Let cool for about 8 minutes. Roll into 2-ounce pieces and wrap with parchment paper.

PECAN-CARAMEL SPIDERS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Mound 30 small clusters of pecans, about 3 or 4 pecans each, spaced a couple inches apart on the pan.
• Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar.
• Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.
• Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and cool for a minute.
• Ladle a couple tablespoons of warm caramel over some of the nut clusters, to make the spider bodies. Then press 6 pieces of licorice into the warm caramel to make the legs. Repeat with the remaining caramel and licorice. (It's helpful to have an extra hand here, since the caramel can set quickly. If caramel hardens, warm over very low heat. ) Let spiders cool 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes more.)
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each spider. Sprinkle with jimmies or chocolate curls, if desired. Let cool until firm.

PECAN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir butter and brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Stir in heavy whipping cream and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat to cool slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chopped pecans.

MAPLE PECAN CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
• In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil and 3 popcorn kernels over medium-high with lid on top. When kernels pop, add remaining kernels to pot, lower heat to medium-low, and crack the lid open a sliver, facing away from you, to release steam. (Alternatively, you could cover the pot with a mesh deep-frying screen, or an upside-down colander or strainer.) Cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the popping stops.
• Transfer popcorn to a heatproof bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. Add nuts to bowl.
• In a medium pot, bring maple syrup, butter and brown sugar to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter and sugar have melted (the mixture should be foamy). Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat, and stir in salt, vanilla and baking soda. (Mixture may bubble up.)
• Immediately pour hot syrup over popcorn mixture, and use a spatula to mix it well. Scrape popcorn onto prepared baking sheet in one layer. Bake, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, for 25 to 35 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can remove a piece of the popcorn, and after letting it cool for about a minute, it's crisp when you bite into it. Taste and sprinkle lightly with more salt if you like. Let cool before serving.

CARAMEL PECAN TURTLE CHOCOLATE CANDIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Grease a large cookie sheet well.
• Arrange 4 pecan halves in a cluster, flat side down on cookie sheet.
• Repeat with the rest of the pecan halves.
• Place one caramel on top of each cluster.
• Heat in oven until caramels are softened, about 4-6 minutes.
• Press caramels flat with the bottom of a buttered spatula (you may have to butter the spatula after every 2 or 3 caramels, or it will get very sticky).
• Remove caramels evenly onto waxed paper.
• Melt chocolate in double boiler, or in microwave on medium high, stirring every 25 seconds until just melted.
• Spoon over caramel-pecan clusters.
• Let cool a few hours.
• Makes 26.

CARAMEL-PECAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250°F. On large cookie sheet, place pretzels in single layer. Place caramel piece on center of each pretzel. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until caramels have softened. Remove from oven. Press pecan half into each caramel piece. Place close together on sheet of waxed paper.
• In separate 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bags, place chocolate chips and vanilla chips; seal bags. Microwave each on High 35 to 50 seconds, squeezing chips in bag every 15 seconds, until chips are melted and smooth.
• Cut small tip from bottom corner of each bag. Drizzle melted chocolate over pretzels. Carefully drizzle melted vanilla chips over chocolate. (If careful when drizzling, there is no need to let the chocolate set before drizzling the vanilla chips.) Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until chocolate is set.