• Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
• Spread the chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of both pans. Set aside.

MAKE THE CARAMEL

• Melt the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best for these caramels.)
• Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the evaporated milk a little at a time, taking 10-15 minutes per can and stirring constantly. A labor of love indeed.
• Once all the milk is added use a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 238F-240F and not any hotter! Even a few degrees hotter will make them chewy instead of soft. (This will take another 15 minutes or so!) I highly recommend double checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer as it comes to temperature.
• Immediately pour into the prepared pans and cool completely.

MAKE THE NOUGAT

• Melt the sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best. An enameled dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.)
• Bring the syrup mixture to a boil and boil until it reaches 244F. Wash down the sides of the pot to remove any sugar crystals if needed, but there’s no need to stir once it’s boiling.
• Meanwhile, add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until starting to thicken/foam.
• When the syrup mixture reaches 244F, slowly pour in ⅓ of the syrup while mixing on low speed. Pour the syrup in very slowly and carefully and be sure it’s being mixed the whole time.
• Put the remaining syrup in the pot back on the stove and cook over medium heat until it reaches 264F.
• With the mixer running on low, pour the rest of the syrup (slowly and carefully) into the egg whites.
• Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is stiff and starts to clump around the whisk. It won’t form completely stiff peaks but will thicken quite a bit.
• With the mixer running on low, stir in the vanilla, and ½ the butter and flour. Mix in the rest of the butter/flour.
• Divide in half and pour over the cooled caramel. Smooth into an even layer. Let cool completely.

SLICE THE PECAN ROLLS

• With the short side of the pan facing you, cut the candy in half top to bottom. Then cut each side into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a log so the nougat is fully encased in caramel. You will yield 16 rolls per pan and 32 rolls total.
• Wrap each roll in candy paper - like wax or parchment paper. Store the pecan rolls in an airtight container. Enjoy!