Pecan-Encrusted Caramels

I hadn’t practiced two skills in awhile: caramels and chocolate dipping. I struck upon a way to practice both while doing something a little different. I decided to add pecans but rather than add them to the caramels, I added them to the chocolate enrobing. If I put the pecans into the hot caramel the aromatics that give them their flavor will evaporate at that high temperature. If I add them to the warmed chocolate, their taste wil be preserved. Since these are my extremely flavorful pecans from Ellis Brothers I wanted to keep as much flavor as possible.

I put together a batch of caramel from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook: corn syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream (my own preference), and butter.

I melted some Vahrohna dark chocolate that I have been saving for such an occasion; I tempered it using my frozen plate technique.

I finely chopped some of those wonderful pecans.

I then mixed the pecans into some chocolate and started dipping.

Here is a tray of the beauties cooling. I think this technique does help to preserve the taste of these excellent pecans. Keeping them out of the caramel also preserves its texture. I think this is a keeper technique.

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