CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN CLUSTERS RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on); set aside 36 pecans on baking sheet. Finely chop remaining pecans (for about 1/4 cup); set aside.
• When pecans are cool enough to handle, make 12 clusters by arranging 2 pecans vertically, side by side, below 1 pecan placed horizontally. Gently flatten each caramel; place 1 on top of each cluster. Bake clusters 5 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on).
• Place 1 piece of chocolate on top of each cluster. Return to oven; bake until chocolate begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven. With the back of a spoon, gently spread chocolate over caramel without completely covering it.
• Sprinkle clusters with reserved chopped pecans. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• In a shallow baking pan, spread pecan halves in a thin layer. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until pecans are a light golden brown, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven. Set aside. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or greased foil.
• For caramel mixture, in a 3-quart saucepan, combine sugar, 1-1/2 cups of the whipping cream, the corn syrup, butter, and salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling.
• Keeping mixture boiling, very slowly add remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream. Clip a candy thermometer to side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over entire surface.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 244 degree F (firm-ball stage). Keep an eye on the mixture so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat immediately. Remove candy thermometer. Pour into a 4-cup glass measuring cup.
• For large candies, mound pecans in 20 groups, 3-1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. For small candies, arrange 3 or 4 pecan halves 2 inches apart.
• Quickly pour half of the caramel mixture over pecans. (If caramel is very hot, it will run more. Just push caramel back to pecan mound with a small spatula.) Repeat with remaining caramel mixture. (Caramel will have cooled enough to mound.)
• In a small saucepan, melt the 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces over low heat. In another small saucepan, melt the 1 cup vanilla baking pieces over low heat. Spread half of the caramel mounds with semisweet chocolate and the other half with vanilla baking pieces.
• Using the same small saucepans, melt the 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening in one saucepan and the 1/3 cup vanilla baking pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening in the other. Drizzle semisweet chocolate over vanilla-frosted candies; drizzle the melted vanilla baking pieces over the semisweet chocolate-frosted candies. Drag a toothpick through the drizzle, if you like. Let stand until set. Makes 18 to 20 large or 30 to 35 small candies.