Best 6 Caramel Pecans Recipes

CARAMEL PECANS

Steps:

• Line a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with foil; grease the foil with 2 teaspoons butter and set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugars, corn syrup, 1 cup cream and the remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the remaining cream. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 245° (firm-ball stage)., Remove from the heat; stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Let stand until firm. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

BANANA LAYER CAKE WITH CARAMEL CREAM AND PECANS

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, baking powder, and sea salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add 2 eggs; beat until blended. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions. Beat remaining 4 eggs and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in medium bowl until mixture is thick and pale in color, about 4 minutes. Fold egg mixture into batter. Fold in bananas. Divide batter between prepared pans (about 3 1/2 cups for each).
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.)
• For banana-caramel cream:
• Combine brown sugar, banana, and 3 tablespoons butter in processor; blend until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups whipping cream; blend. Transfer to heavy medium saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Attach candy thermometer to inside of pan; cook without stirring or swirling pan until temperature registers 218°F, about 10 minutes. Pour caramel into bowl. Cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
• Whisk remaining 2 1/4 cups whipping cream in large bowl until cream mounds softly. Gradually fold in cool caramel mixture. Chill until cream is firm enough to spread, about 3 hours.
• Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on platter. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons rum over. Spread 1 1/4 cups banana cream over. Top with second cake layer. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons rum over. Spread 1 1/2 cups cream over. Repeat with third cake layer, lime juice, rum, and cream. Top with fourth cake layer, cut side down; spread remaining cream over top.
• Scatter roasted pecans over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)

SWEET POTATO BREAD WITH CARAMEL AND ALEPPO-SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F minutes. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Pierce sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until soft and cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes. Scoop out flesh into a blender or food processor; discard skin. Add milk and purée until smooth. Scrape the potato mixture into a medium bowl and return 1 1/3 cups of the mixture to the blender. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and dark brown sugar and purée until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl.
• Lower the oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three batches to avoid overworking the flour. Make sure batter is fully mixed.
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in oven, rotating once, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.
• Run the dull side of a bread knife along the inner edges of the loaf pan. Unmold the bread and drizzle with caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt, Aleppo pepper, and pecans before serving.

SOUFFLé OF PUFF PASTRY WITH ORANGE-SCENTED PASTRY CREAM, CANDIED PECANS, AND CARAMEL BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Orange-Scented Pastry Cream
• 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks.
• 2. Whisk the Pastry Cream until smooth. Gently fold in the orange zest and whipped cream. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium, plain tip and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Caramel Butter Sauce
• 1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 g/1 oz) of the water.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, and remaining 2 cups (470 g/16.5 oz) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and rum. Keep the sauce warm until serving, or refrigerate it, covered, and rewarm before serving.
• Candied Pecans
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Place the pecans in a medium bowl and set aside.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over the pecans and toss until combined. Spread the coated pecans on a half-sheet pan and bake for about 8 minutes, tossing once during baking, until browned and fragrant.
• Puff Pastry Rounds
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a half-sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.
• 2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the puff pastry out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a 3-inch round pastry cutter, cut out 10 rounds from the dough. Arrange the rounds on the prepared sheet pan and top with another silicone baking mat and half-sheet pan; this will allow the rounds to rise evenly. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the rounds are browned and nicely puffed. Remove the top sheet pan and baking mat. Preheat the broiler and dust the rounds liberally with confectioners' sugar. Place the rounds under the broiler until they are caramelized. Assemble the desserts immediately.
• Assembly
• While the Puff Pastry Rounds are still hot from the oven, split them in half. Scoop out any undercooked dough from the center of each half and pipe a generous amount of cold Orange-Scented Pastry Cream on the bottom half of the puff. Replace the top of the puff. Place the dessert on a plate and spoon some Caramel Butter Sauce on top of the warm pastry. Garnish with some Candied Pecans.

GEORGE CARAMELIN: CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA BEAN BOURBON FROSTING, BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE, AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line standard cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners.
• Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. Add vinegar and incorporate. Do not over mix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake until a toothpick inserted into each cupcake comes out clean, 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• For the sauce: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Let boil until the mixture starts to turn brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir with a whisk. Add the bourbon and salt and continue stirring. Once the bubbling stops, add the margarine and whisk until melted and distributed. Let cool completely and pour into a clean squirt bottle.
• For the pecans: In a large bowl, toss the pecans with the melted margarine until all the pecans are coated. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, sugar, and sea salt. Toss into the pecan mixture and coat evenly. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure the pecans are not overlapping. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the shortening and margarine until completely combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. On low speed, slowly add the sugar a little at a time. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla paste and bourbon and mix on low until the liquids are incorporated. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix on medium-high speed until all the ingredients are combined and the frosting is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Put the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• To assemble: With a plastic drinking straw or a small paring knife, make holes in the center of each cupcake. Squeeze the bourbon caramel sauce into the center of the cupcake until filled but not overflowing, about 1 tablespoon per cupcake. Pipe a dollop of vanilla bean bourbon frosting onto of each cupcake. Drizzle the top with more bourbon caramel sauce and sprinkle with candied pecans to garnish.

CARAMEL-DIPPED PECANS

Steps:

• Gently insert an 8-inch wooden skewer into each pecan. Set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath, and set aside. Combine the sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, without stirring, until the mixture begins to brown. Gently swirl the pan to color evenly. Remove from heat when caramel is a rich amber color, and place pan in ice bath for 5 seconds to stop the cooking.
• Allow caramel to sit, until slightly thickened, for about 15 minutes. (To test: Dip a wooden spoon into the caramel, and lift it several inches over the pan; if a drip slowly forms and then hardens, the caramel is ready.) When caramel is ready, dip pecans, lifting up and swirling slightly to fully coat. Hold skewer over the pan to allow the drip to lengthen and slightly harden, about 1 minute. If necessary, use a pair of scissors to cut the drip from the caramel remaining in the pan. Place skewers on an inverted baking sheet lined with waxed paper, and allow the caramel to completely harden, about 5 minutes. If desired, stand skewers upright in flower foam or a heavy container until ready to serve. Gently remove skewers before serving.