Pecan Rolls

Buttering the Pan

Fondant:

6 C. Sugar

1 C. Heavy Cream

1 C. Skim, 1%, or 2% Milk

4 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp. White Corn Syrup

¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

½ tsp. Almond Extract

Do Not Stir When It Boils!

Combine Ingredients

Using the butter, butter the sides of a large (4 to 8 quart) heavy saucepan. In it first pour the liquids, syrup, the rest of the butter, salt and then sugar. Stir to combine. 

Place pan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Cook WITHOUT STIRRING to soft ball stage (228˚ F.) Cover, let cool 3 minutes. 

Pour a ring of fondant around the perimeter of the marble slab and then fill the center with rest of candy. Cool until fondant feels slightly warm to the touch (your finger touch should leave an indentation.) Drizzle both extracts over the surface of the fondant.

Beat as for fudge (continuously turn the outside edge into the center.) When fondant turns creamy, pick up the entire mass with buttered hands and transfer from one hand to another being sure to keep the dough in a tight ball. First it will be sticky then hard, maybe even crumbly but continue and it will become sticky then satiny. 

Form 12 rolls that are 6 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap individually and store in a cool dry place for 24 hours so they can ripen (I use mine immediately.) 

Pecans: Use 3 cookie sheets that are 9x13 inches (size is important.) Place 1 pound of broken nuts on each pan, set aside. 

Caramel:

4 C. Sugar

2 C. Dark Karo

1 qt. Heavy Cream

½ lb. Butter

Butter sides of heavy saucepan (just as with fondant.) In it, combine sugar, butter, dark corn syrup and 1/3 of the cream. 

Adding Another 1/3

Bring to boiling over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly only until it boils. Once it starts boiling STOP STIRRING, put your spoon away and DO NOT STIR OR SCRAPE THE PAN AGAIN. 

Cook until 232˚ F. Add second 1/3 of cream (do not stir it in, and be sure to add it slowly so that the temperature doesn’t fall too fast) and cook to 232˚ F. 

Add final 1/3 and cook to 232˚ F. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla. 

Pour caramel over the three pans of pecans using a fine thin stream of caramel and spoonfuls of caramel to cover all 3 pans carefully. When cool enough to handle, cut each pan into four pieces (2 by 2) and wrap each fondant in a section of the nut caramel. 

Makes 12 pecan rolls. Cover in plastic wrap, then foil. May be frozen airtight if defrosted airtight. 

Note: The temperatures listed are accurate for a thermometer which boils in water at 204˚ F. in Salt Lake City. Adjust recipe according to your elevation. 

Nelson, Barbara; Stange Family Recipes, May 1998; Nelson, Barb; Caramel Pecan Logs, p. ST4.