Pumpkin Pie Pecan Candy

I guess it’s inevitable that pumpkin season and fall foods eventually appear even though I’m not ready to give up summer foods yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fall! It’s my favorite time of year. I just feel like I was gypped of a summer this year because it felt so short!

One of my favorite fall foods is pumpkin. I’ve only really made pumpkin pie, but my mom makes this awesome pumpkin dish that is made with black bean garlic sauce and cane sugar. I don’t think I’ve ever attempted to recreate it yet, but if I did, it still wouldn’t taste like hers.

I’ve heard talk about a pumpkin shortage this year. I saw plenty of pumpkins at my supermarket, but I’ve never seen canned pumpkin there. I guess I’ve never looked. I did find canned pumpkin at Target last year (although after pumpkin season), so I had a can in the pantry available to use.

I saw this recipe for pumpkin pecan candies that looked pretty interesting. The recipe called for 2 cups sugar, it did seem like a lot to me, but I left it as is. As I suspected, it was pretty sweet. It also called for 3 cups chopped pecans, but pecans are expensive! I first started out with 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans and would add more as needed, but it was the perfect amount. I’ve also never seen unsweetened coconut in my supermarket. I bought mine at the Chinese supermarket. I originally bought it 2 weeks ago without a recipe in mind, so I’m glad I came across this recipe.

I also think this looks like a truffle and has the truffle consistency. However it can’t really be called a truffle because it doesn’t contain any chocolate. Now, if I coated it in chocolate, then that would be a different story.

Pumpkin Pie Pecan Candy
adapted from: The Ultimate Candy Book
printable recipe

ingredients:
1 (15oz) can pure pumpkin
2 cups white sugar
2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the pumpkin, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. On medium heat, cook and mix together and allow sugar to dissolve. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture forms into a ball, about 15-20 minutes. Have patience, it will eventually turn into a ball once the liquid evaporates.

Remove mixture from heat and add in vanilla. Transfer to a heat safe bowl and cover mixture with plastic wrap so a skin does not form. Chill in refrigerator until cool.

Using a cookie scoop that is about a TBSP size, scoop up balls and roll in the palm of your hands. Roll balls  in the chopped pecan, coating all sides. Put back in fridge to let set.

Store in airtight container up to a week.

Makes about 30 candies.