Candied Pecans

By chelyc13

Ingredients

• 2-3/4 cups pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place pecans in a shallow baking pan in a 250° oven for 10 minutes or until warmed.

2. Grease a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside.

3. Grease the sides of a large heavy saucepan with remaining butter; add sugar, water, salt and cinnamon.

4. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals.

5. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage).

6. Remove from the heat; add vanilla. Stir in warm pecans until evenly coated.

7. Spread onto prepared baking pan. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

8. Spread on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to cool. Yield: about 1 pound.

**Editor's Note: We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.