I’ve never been good at making candy. My mom used to make the best Divinity that I’ve ever eaten. She used to always tell me that it couldn’t be rainy or cloudy or the Divinity wouldn’t turn out. She used to make the best Fudge too. I just could never get the soft ball, hard ball stage to happen.
I decided this year to try this recipe and it turned out….well up to a point. The caramels turned out perfect and I cut them apart and was so proud. Until, I put them on my Christmas platters and left them wrapped overnight so we could deliver them the next day. When I looked at them the next morning, they had turned into a big glob. I think I needed the softball stage to be a little firmer. The glob is very delicious and rich!
You can download and print the full version of the recipe by clicking on the hyperlink below:
Real Texas Buttery Caramels
Ingredients
1/2 cup Pecans
2 cups Sugar
1 stick Butter
2 cups Heavy Cream
3/4 cup light Corn Syrup
Directions
Take the crushed pecans and put them in a toaster oven at 350F degrees until they are nice and toasted. Take out the toasted pecans, butter an 8×8 small pan or an oblong pan and transfer the pecans. Spread the toasted pecans evenly on the bottom and set aside.
Melt the butter and set up a candy thermometer. Add sugar, heavy cream, and light corn syrup. Stir on medium heat and bring it to a boil. It will take several minutes.
The candy thermometer has now reached 225F degrees. Another way that you can test this is take a spoonful and very cold water and pour or drop in. When you pull it out it makes a soft ball. That is the stage where you want to be at. Remove the candy thermometer. Turn off the heat. Very carefully pour the caramel over the toasted pecans in the pan.
And as you can see it turned a light caramel color. Leave it at room temperature and let it cool for about 1 hour.
Take the caramel out of the pan using a spatula and just lift it turn the pan over and continue to lift using the spatula.
Take a very sharp knife. Make a little indentation all along the top. Turn it and do it again. You want this to be about an inch square.
Slice evenly as you can. As you can see you are getting perfect size caramels.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Ramona…you are so good! I’m still at the baking cookies stage. How will I ever catch up?
I am going to give these a try for Christmas – you make them look so easy! Thank you for sharing!
Can these be frozen? I am doing holiday baking for Friday evening and want to bake these today and want to freeze these for Friday.
I don’t think I’d freeze them. You can store in the refrigerator until next week easy. I stored for 2 weeks and they were fine.
Make sure you get the true soft ball stage. Mine fell. Looked great in refrigerator, and at room temperature, turned into little globs. They tasted great!
Thank you for your quick reply!
Did you only use 1/2 cup of pecans? In your video it looks like a lot more. Going to make these today. I don’t have a candy thermometer so I will use the cold water method. Thanks again. Love your videos 🙂
It was a 1/2 cup of pecans before I crushed them. You may need more to cover the bottom of whatever your glass dish size is.
Enjoy and they are delicious. Make sure you get the true soft ball stage. Mine fell. Looked great in refrigerator, and at room temperature, turned into little globs. They tasted great!
Thank you for being so quick to answer my questions!
I just toasted the pecans and if you can believe it, I burnt them! Not a good start, LOL…I am off to the store to buy more! This time I won’t set the timer for 15 minutes…I think 10 should do it, LOL.
Thanks for being so awesome in posting these videos!
Oh, my! It’s hard to figure an exact time for toasting the pecans. I watch them and once I can smell them, I know they are getting close, and then right when some of them start turning dark, I stir and then watch real close. It’s within seconds that they will burn.
I wanted to tell you that these turned out AMAZING!!! Everyone has raved about them. I keep telling them they are REAL TEXAS, hehe. Thank you for this recipe. SOOO GOOD!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! So I should put this recipe in my cookbook? I’m already started…I have 1 complete section designed and the cover!
Merry Christmas!
Ramona
Definately put this in your cookbook. It is amazing!!! Soooo good. Everyone loves it. They want me to make another batch..this one is almost gone, lol. Doesn’t help when I wake up in the middle of the night and need a taste, LOL.
I have one quick question. The heavy cream you use is it fresh or canned? When I made these all I could find were the thick cream in a can form but it still worked. I was just wondering what you use for your thick cream. Thanks 🙂
The heavy (whipping) cream in the dairy section. I always keep on hand. Never know when I’ll need it in a sauce or to whip up some whipped cream! 😉
When you say the heavy (whipping) cream do you mean the spray can or the liquid in a milk type container? I sent my hubby to the store and he only found the spray can version, lol. Think I may have to myself..MEN! LOL
lol! David calls me when he runs to the store for me all the time! It’s the kind in a milk type container.. 😉