Source: Candymaking by Ruth A. Kendrick & Pauline H. Atkinson
Makes about 100 pieces
Preparation time: 1 day
Tips: Store rolled caramel-Nougat before cutting in a cardboard tube or such shape to preserve roundness.
Caramel-Nougat Pinwheels
Ingredients
Preparation
1 recipe of Soft Caramels ( see recipe Shit Sticks )
1 recipe Chewy Nougat
Tempered dipping chocolate, if desired for coating.
1. Butter a 9”x13”- inch pan; set aside. (see note 1)
2. Prepare Soft Caramels. Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool at least 3 hours.
3. Prepare Chewy Nougat. Pour over the caramel, leaving 2 inches of caramel uncovered on one 9-inch side (this will help the caramel stick to itself during rolling); quickly spread as evenly as possible as nougat will begin to set up.
4. When nougat has set 3 hours, remove candy from pan and turn nougat-side-up onto counter top. Beginning on the 9-inch that is covered with nougat, roll jellyroll-style as tightly as possible and pressing the uncovered caramel to the back side of the caramel in the roll. Continue rolling candy back and forth to lengthen the roll. When roll becomes too long to handle easily, cut in half and roll each half separately.
When rolls are about 1-inch in diameter, cut in 1/2-inch slices.
5. Pinwheels may be served plain or dipped in tempered chocolate. You may refrigerate caramel pieces for about 20 minutes before dipping them into melted chocolate, it makes for easier handeling. Caramels store well in refrigerator if wrapped in plastic wrap, whole roll or pieces. At room temperature rolls will slowly loose their shape and flatten.
NOTE: Pinwheels without chocolate coating can be wrap for a short time in wax paper.If longer than 2 weeks, apply a thin layer of butter to paper before wrapping. Nougat sticks to paper more than caramel does. A very light dusting of powdered sugar delays sticking to it, but alters the look. For longer storage wrap caramels/ nougat in parchment paper.
1) If you have various trays, dividing the batch in 2 trays reduces the task of rolling, however you have to be very quick on spreading the nougat, it cools and becomes stiff fast.
2) Try making “Turtles” using pinwheels on top of pecans, allow the soft pinwheel to slowly stick and run over pecans, this process can be speed by placing the tray in a slightly warmed oven for few minutes, watch carefully. You may refrigerate turtles for about 20 minutes prior to coating with melted chocolate, makes it easier to handle them.
