Time 30m Yield 3 dozen. Number Of Ingredients 5 Steps:
In a double boiler or microwave, melt caramels and milk. Stir until smooth. Place pecan halves in groups of three on a greased baking sheet. Spoon melted caramel over pecans (1 scant tablespoon over each cluster). , Refrigerate. Melt chocolate chips and shortening; spread over clusters. Keep refrigerated.
Yield Makes 55 to 60 Number Of Ingredients 8 Steps:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast nuts on a baking pan for 10 minutes; remove from oven. Generously butter 5 baking pans. Arrange 5 pecan halves in a snowflake-shaped cluster, overlapping nuts in center. Repeat with remaining nuts, spacing clusters 2 inches apart. In a heavy saucepan, combine corn syrup, whole milk, and sugar. Place over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until syrup mixture comes to a boil, about 6 minutes. Stir in baking soda. Clip a candy thermometer to pan; add butter, stirring constantly until melted, keeping mixture at full boil. Slowly pour in evaporated milk; cook at a boil, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 240 degrees (soft-ball stage), about 45 minutes. If pan starts to overflow, turn down heat for a few minutes; return to a boil. Remove caramel from heat; transfer to a medium metal bowl. Cool to 200 degrees. Caramel will have the consistency of thick honey. Using a spoon, gently mound 1 tablespoon caramel on top of each cluster. Allow caramel to harden. If caramel becomes too stiff, place bowl over low heat; stir constantly for several minutes until returned to proper consistency. To temper chocolate, cover a heating pad with a kitchen towel, and set pad to lowest setting. Line two baking pans with parchment paper, and set aside. Using a sharp knife, shave chocolate. In a medium glass bowl, heat two-thirds of the chocolate in microwave at 30 percent power for 1 minute. Stir chocolate, and continue heating at 30 percent power in 10-second intervals until an instant-read thermometer registers 120 degrees. Remove from microwave. Stir in remaining shaved chocolate with rubber spatula. Stir constantly, bringing chocolate up sides and back down into bowl until temperature reaches between 86 degrees and 89 degrees. To determine if tempered, drizzle a thin line onto a cool stainless-steel surface. The chocolate should dry to a matte finish in about 5 minutes. Place bowl on covered heating pad; stir occasionally to maintain temperature between 86 degrees and 89 degrees adjusting setting if necessary. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of tempered chocolate over each cluster; set aside in a cool place to harden.
Time 1h30m Yield 48 Number Of Ingredients 8 Steps:
Combine the sugars, syrup, butter and 1 cup of the evaporated milk, and bring to a boil. Add the other cup of evaporated milk slowly, stirring constantly, and cook until it reaches 255 degrees on a candy thermometer. Add the vanilla and pecans and mix well. Pour into a 9 by 11-inch greased pan and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature, cut into squares then dip in chocolate. If you’d like to make a turtle, spoon dollops of the caramel pecan mixture onto a greased sheet pan, with 5 pecans in each mound (4 legs and head). Refrigerate to set, then dip in chocolate.;
Time 1h25m Yield 40 Number Of Ingredients 5 Steps:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange pecans on a baking sheet. Bake pecans in the preheated oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 minutes. Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; grease with butter. Combine caramels, water, and butter in a saucepan over low heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted and smooth. Fold in pecans. Drop caramel mixture by the spoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool and harden. Drizzle chocolate over caramel nut clusters. Refrigerate to set, about 1 hour.
