Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (340g) light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, cubed and frozen for 10 minutes
  • 2 cups (225g) raw pecan halves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, sifted

Instructions:

  1. Prep your mise en place: Measure all ingredients and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or generously buttered parchment paper.
  2. In a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, light corn syrup, water, and sea salt.
  3. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and stir only until the sugar has fully dissolved. Once the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring to prevent crystallization.
  4. Cook the mixture until it reaches the soft-crack stage. Add the chopped pecans directly into the molten sugar to trigger the Maillard reaction, allowing the nuts to toast as the sugar finishes caramelizing to the hard-crack stage (approx. 300°F/150°C).
  5. Immediately remove from heat. Quickly stir in the cubed butter and vanilla extract until incorporated.
  6. Add the sifted baking soda and stir vigorously. The mixture will foam and triple in volume as CO2 is released.
  7. Quickly pour the aerated mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread thinly using a heat-resistant spatula. Allow to cool completely at room temperature until hard before shattering into pieces.