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.
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.
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.