"Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next."
- - Ezra Taft Benson
December 19, 2013
Easy Salted Pecan Rolls
by Joni Hilton

Editor’s note: Yes, this isn’t Joni’s regular column day. But Christmas is on the horizon, and some of you may be getting desperate for easy gifts for your visiting teaching or home teaching families. Never let it be said that the Nauvoo Times isn’t a full-service online magazine. This is a recipe that may help you out.

Sometimes when a recipe says "easy" it means "not very good."  The flavor has been sacrificed for the ease of whipping up a dish in a hurry.  But I am happy to report that this recipe is phenomenal.  Your biggest problem will be resisting the urge to eat too many of them.


This is not a contest winner, but it definitely won the heart of my Louisiana-born, crazy-for-pecans husband, when I gave him a box of them for Father's Day. Many similar recipes call for pecans, but they don't tell you to roast them.  Chefs, however, will tell you to always roast nuts before you cook with them, to bring out their flavor.  

I also added salt to the caramel, which makes these swoon-worthy babies a notch better.  Here you go:

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1 lb. Kraft caramels, unwrapped
2 Tbsp. cream
3 Cups pecans, roasted* (use crushed or halved, your preference)
2 tsp. sea salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir marshmallow creme, sifted sugar, vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir (or knead) until it forms a clay-like texture.  Shape it into 8 rolls, about an inch wide.  Wrap each one in waxed paper and freeze overnight.
2. Unwrap caramels and stir with cream in the top of a double boiler until melted and well mixed.  Turn off heat but keep on stove.  Place nuts on a sheet of foil.  Dip marshmallow rolls into caramel, then place on nuts. (I use two forks to keep my hands clean.) Sprinkle with salt, then roll in nuts, pressing the nuts into the salted caramel.  Wrap again with waxed paper and hide them — I mean store them — in a cool, dry place.

* To roast nuts of any kind, just stir them in a dry pan over medium heat until nuts begin to brown and become fragrant.  You can also bake them on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes, depending on size of nuts.


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About Joni Hilton

Joni is an award-winning playwright, the author of 20 books, holds a master of fine arts degree in professional writing from USC, and is frequently published in major magazines. Tune in to her radio advice show at AM1380, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, on saturday mornings.

A former TV talk show host in Los Angeles, she is also a TV spokeswoman across the U.S. for various corporations, and highly in demand as a public speaker.

Hilton writes for Music and The Spoken Word for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and is a columnist for Meridian Magazine.

Hilton's books can be found at Goodreads, CreateSpace, Amazon, Deseret Book, and at MormonAuthors. Reviews are also available at these same sites.

She is founder and former CEO of Holy Cow, an organic line of cleaning products, the winner of dozens of cooking contests, and a former model and Miss California. She is married to TV personality Bob Hilton, and they are the parents of four children.

Feel free to follow Joni at Twitter and on Facebook. Her website is at http://cookingwithjoni.blogspot.com/.

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