Description
Homemade sweet and salty pecan delights deliver luxurious flavor combinations from Southern baking traditions. Crunchy pecans glazed with caramelized sugar offer irresistible dessert experience for hungry guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) pecan halves
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tbsps (42 g) butter
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 tsp pure vanilla or rum extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Line a large sheet pan with wax paper and lightly grease with cooking spray or softened butter to prevent sticking.
- Caramel Mixture: In a deep, microwave-safe bowl, combine pecan halves, brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, butter, and sea salt. Mix thoroughly to create an even caramel base.
- Microwaving: Heat the mixture on high power for 6 1/2 minutes, pausing at the 3-minute mark to stir and prevent burning. Ensure uniform caramelization by stirring carefully.
- Consistency Check: After microwaving, vigorously stir the caramel to coat pecans evenly. If the mixture appears too liquid, return to the microwave for 1-minute intervals, monitoring closely.
- Flavor Enhancement: Gently stir vanilla extract into the warm caramel mixture, distributing the flavor throughout the pecan clusters.
- Forming Clusters: Using a small cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop individual pecan clusters onto the prepared wax paper, maintaining consistent sizing.
- Finishing Touch: Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over each caramel pecan cluster to elevate the flavor profile.
- Cooling and Setting: Allow clusters to cool at room temperature for 30-45 minutes until the caramel becomes firm to the touch.
Notes
- Prevent Burning: Stir the caramel mixture every 3 minutes during microwaving to ensure even heating and avoid scorching the sugar and pecans.
- Achieve Perfect Consistency: If the caramel seems too runny, microwave in additional 1-minute intervals, watching carefully to reach the ideal thickness for coating.
- Uniform Coating Technique: Vigorously stir the caramel after microwaving to guarantee every pecan is completely and evenly covered with the sweet mixture.
- Salt Finishing Touch: Sprinkle a delicate pinch of sea salt on top of each cluster to elevate the flavor profile and create a delightful sweet-salty balance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Microwave, Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg