Aunt Bill's Brown Candy

Ingredients

• 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup half and half 
• 4 cups pecans toasted coarsely chopped
• 3 cups sugar divided
• 5 tablespoons butter unsalted cut into cubes
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 0.3 cup water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• baking pan
• wooden spoon
• candy thermometer

Directions

1. Butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan.
2. Combine 2 cups sugar and half and half inheavy large saucepan. Stir occasionally overlow heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
3. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cupwater to boil in heavy medium saucepanover medium-low heat, stirring until sugardissolves. Increase heat; continue boilingwithout stirring until syrup turns deepamber, brushing sides of pan with wetbrush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes.
4. Immediately pour caramel syrup intohalf and half mixture in large saucepan(mixture will bubble). Stir constantly overmedium-low heat until caramel dissolves.Attach candy thermometer to side ofpan. Increase heat to medium. Continuecooking and stirring until mixture registers244°F, about 12 minutes.
5. Remove fromheat and immediately stir in baking soda(mixture will foam slightly).
6. Add butter andstir to melt.
7. Let stand without stirring untilmixture cools to 160°F, about 20 minutes.
8. Mix in vanilla. Using large wooden spoon,stir constantly until candy begins to thickenand loses its gloss, 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Mix innuts (candy will be very stiff). Scrape candyinto prepared pan. Using wet fingertips,press candy firmly into pan. Coolcompletely, then cut into 30 squares.