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Indulge in the rich taste of Millionaire Candy, a treasured Southern treat combining smooth caramel, toasty pecans, and silky milk chocolate. It's a fancy snack that's perfect for holiday parties and brings back warm memories during festive times.
Delightful Southern Traditions
Whenever I whip up this candy, I'm taken straight back to my grandma's cooking space where these tasty little bites would show up during holiday season. There's just something magical about how the silky chocolate outer layer breaks to reveal that sticky caramel and those crispy toasted pecans inside. You won't find it hard to make but it'll feel super fancy.
What You'll Need
- Caramel candies: About 12 ounces from the store to create that sticky, chewy foundation.
- Whole milk: 2 tablespoons to help the caramel get nice and runny.
- Pecans: 1 cup that's been toasted and chopped for that nutty bite.
- Flake sea salt: Just a tiny bit makes everything taste better and looks pretty too.
- Milk chocolate melting wafers: 12 ounces, try to grab Ghirardelli if you can for that top-notch chocolate layer.
Let's Make It Together
- Prepare trays
- Get two baking trays ready with parchment paper and a light coating of cooking spray. Put them aside for now.
- Melt caramel
- Put your caramel candies and milk in a double boiler on medium heat. Keep stirring until it's all smooth, which takes about 10 minutes.
- Add pecans
- Mix in your toasted pecans and a tiny sprinkle of flake salt into your melty caramel. Stir it up good.
- Shape candies
- Take a tablespoon and drop little piles of your caramel-pecan mix onto those trays you fixed earlier.
- Melt chocolate
- Now melt those chocolate wafers in your double boiler. Stir now and then until it's completely smooth, around 3-5 minutes.
- Dip candies
- Dunk each caramel lump into your melted chocolate, making sure it's totally covered. Then place it back on your tray with the parchment.
- Chill candies
- Put your trays in the fridge for 10-15 minutes so the chocolate can harden up.
Keeping Your Candy Fresh
These candies stay great in a sealed container at room temp for up to two weeks, though they don't usually stick around that long at my place! Just remember to put wax paper between layers so they don't stick together. If you're making them early for holiday fun, they freeze really well. Just let them warm up to room temp before you serve them.
Making It Your Own
The old-school version is fantastic but I enjoy trying different twists. Sometimes I go for dark chocolate to get a fancier taste or throw in some almonds with the pecans. During Christmas time I've even added dried cranberries for a holiday feel. You can really go wild with ideas!
Sharing the Love
These candies work so well as gifts. I enjoy putting them in cute holiday tins or see-through cellophane bags with bright ribbons. There's just something extra special about giving someone a handmade treat that looks this fancy and tastes this amazing. They always get people smiling.
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Common Questions
- → How long do these candies last?
- You can keep them at room temperature for up to 14 days. Make sure to separate layers with parchment or wax paper in an airtight container.
- → Why use a double boiler?
- A double boiler heats gently, stopping the caramel or chocolate from overheating and keeping the texture smooth.
- → How do I dip the candies properly?
- Use one fork to coat caramel pieces in chocolate and another fork to transfer them onto parchment paper for a cleaner finish.
- → What’s the purpose of adding milk to caramel?
- Mixing milk into the caramels makes them softer and easier to handle while improving the final texture of the candy.
- → Why spray parchment paper lightly?
- A quick spray stops the sticky caramel from clinging to the surface, making candies easier to remove.