Directions
Preheat oven to 275°. Toss pecans in 2 tablespoons melted butter until coated. Spread pecans evenly on a cookie sheet and roast in oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Have ingredients ready before beginning caramel, as it will need constant attention. A heat-resistant spatula is highly recommended. The caramel forms better if the whipping cream is warmer than fridge temperature. I keep the measured cream on the stove near the pot as I’m cooking to get it to an appropriate temperature.
Whisk the cornstarch into the whipping cream.
In a medium pot, melt sugar over medium-low heat. As the crystals are melting, scrape the bottom (especially the edges) of the pot to keep the sugar from burning or gluing to the pan. You should not stop stirring/scraping once the sugar has started liquefying. Towards the end of melting, assist the melting of the remaining crystals by scraping them with the spatula.
Stir in the butter. The mixture will start to froth as the butter melts. Once the butter has melted, slowly stir in cream mixture.
Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Mix caramel with roasted pecans. Pour into a 9×13 pan (greased or lined with wax paper) and freeze overnight. Slice into squares of the desired size (around 1 square inch).
Melt chocolate bark. Dip squares into chocolate bark and place on wax paper. If desired, add a small amount of salt to each candy. Allow to dry.