Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…that’s the inspiration for this recipe title anyway.
The inspiration for the clusters though?
- My pantry.
- The fact that I had leftover caramels.
- The fact that I had leftover marshmallows.
- The fact that I’m starting to get nesting syndrome in a bad, bad way and just want to clean everything out of our house and start over again.
But alas, since I can’t just toss all of our furniture I decided to cook instead. And the sugar streak continues.
Also, did I happen to mention that I have my glucose test this week? After I spent all weekend baking and taste-testing everything I made?
Oops.
The ingredient list is small and basic and you have to move quickly to get these guys on the parchment paper STAT (and yes, you need parchment paper. I used foil the first time around – bad idea) or else you will be stuck with a very sticky mess indeed. But if you can master the art of dumping stuff by the spoonful onto a pan quickly, you can make these clusters.
Kind of like if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball. Obviously the same thing.
CHEWY SALTED CARAMEL CASHEW CLUSTERS
- 10 oz. caramel squares, wrappers removed
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 cups salted roasted cashews
- 1 Tbsp butter + more for greasing parchment with
First you want to spread out sheets of parchment paper and rub them down with butter…you’ll thank me for making this step #1. Add the caramels and 2 Tbsp of water to a heavy-bottom saucepan and heat until the caramels are almost melted, stirring constantly. Add the butter and marshmallows and stir until everything is melted and combined. Remove from heat and add the cashews, stirring to combine completely. Drop the mixture by the tablespoonful onto the buttered parchment paper (NOTE: use another spoon to get the mixture to drop, not your finger…it’s hot!) until it’s all gone. Soak your pot immediately in hot water! Let the clusters cool completely before removing from the parchment paper. Enjoy!
These guys are caramel-y and chewy and nutty and amazing. And Nate is counting his lucky stars that he’s not the one with the glucose test this week!
Tiffany says
Made these today. Tasty. Mine never did become solid, they ran into little blobs. They stck to one another if I piled them up together and even once plated they ran again after I squished them into a normal shape. Don’t know if I didn’t cook it long enough but there was definitely a marshmallow fluff type constancy And the color was lighter than in your photos.
mdc says
These looked sooooo good and easy – i made them and had to throw them away. They never got hard, they spread out and were gooey and sticky. I followed the directions. Not sure what went wrong but did not work for me. Also, they are very very sweet. Again, perhaps an operator error but a costly one since i made a double batch with big expensive cashews.
Heather says
Hi MDC – I’m so sorry they didn’t work out for you. The only thing I can think of is that when I made these I lived at a higher altitude, which (although I don’t know the chemistry behind it) may have made a difference. I so appreciate your feedback though! I think it’s a good idea for me to revisit the recipe at a lower altitude now.
LM says
Mine are a sticky mess! Not sure what happened, I followed your recipe exactly. At room temp, they turn to a big lump of goo. Refrigerate and you’ll break a tooth. So disappointed!
Heather says
I’m so sorry to hear that…I’m not sure what could have gone wrong at all, but I’ll see if I can look into it this weekend! I appreciate the feedback though!
Nic says
I made these over the weekend and they were to die for!!! So incredibly easy and beyond yummy. Planning on making more this weekend to give away to friends and co-workers. I used waxed paper sprayed with non-stick spray and it worked like a charm. I also put them in the freezer for a few minutes to fully set. Thanks for sharing.
HeatherChristo says
OH!!!! these look soooo good!!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
omg love these
Val says
These look incredibly delicious.
Aggie says
Oh yea! this looks great! I love love love salted caramel…mmmmm
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Anything that involves salted caramel is a winner for me! I’d be happy to take those off your hands for you…you know cause of your glucose test. Just trying to help out. 😉
Lauren Z. says
These look great! Good luck with the glucose test – that was the only thing that I hated during my entire pregnancies. Chug it quick – you’ll do great!
DessertForTwo says
I’m craving these so badly!
Clare @ SweetnSimple says
These look beautiful.. yummm I love salted caramel 🙂
Anna @ On Anna's Plate says
Mmmm…I love easy candies like this (especially when they don’t require a thermometer!).
Miranda @ Living One Bite at a Time says
Wow, those look awesome! If only I was a fan of nuts :/
Cassie says
These sound amazing. I love salted caramel…great idea to combine with cashews and marshmallows!
Biz says
Love the addition of marshmallows!! Good luck on your glucose test – fingers crossed for normal results!
Robin Sue says
These look heavenly! I love cashews and caramel, especially all chewy like!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
Love! Would never know that you put these together based on what was hanging around in your pantry.
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
easy and yummy! my favorite…
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
These look beautiful! What a great gift for the holidays 🙂
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
These look like something my mum would absolutely love, I think they will have to form part of her Christmas present this year!
Kellie @ Blackboard Kitchen says
Seriously, Heather, these sounds really awesome and so easy to make. I think they’ll be a great complement to all the chewy, soft Christmas cookies I’ll be making! Good luck with your glucose test!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This is absolutely lovely!