Candied Pumpkin Spice Pecans

I really like pecans, even if I don't like any of the ways to say them. I made these for home fellowship last night. Some things I can only make to bring somewhere else, because if I made them for home I would eat them all. Especially something like this, because nobody but me even likes nuts. Also nuts are very expensive right now. I guess it was a bad year for nuts due to a drought in the south or something. So as I was making these, I was thinking, "these had better be good." From Oct/Nov 2011 Simple & Delicious.

Candied Pumpkin Spice Pecans
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups pecan halves

Melt butter in large heavy skillet. Add sugar; cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat; cook until dark reddish brown, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally (this took a very long time, until I turned the heat back up almost to medium...took maybe 30 minutes to get this color and the consistency you would need for them to stick to nuts). Stir in pie spice and vanilla; add pecans. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes longer or until pecans are toasted. Spread on foil to cool.

Okay. These weren't that good. I think it took SO long for the sugar/butter combo to get to the right temperature/consistency, that by the time it did, it snuck up on me, and I was like "holy crap it's time to add the rest of the stuff" and they scorched just a little bit. Even still, about 3/4 of them got eaten. At this time I would like to add a transcript of a conversation had between a friend's daughter (signified as FD, for friend's daughter, to protect her identity), aged almost 9, and myself, regarding the nuts.

FD: those brownies were good. Did you make them?
Me: Yes.
FD: You should make them again.
Me: The recipe will go on my website and your mom can make them, too.
FD: My mom reads your website all the time.
Me: I know. She is my best reader.
FD, pointing to the pecans: Did you make those too?
Me: Yes. Did you like them?
FD: Not really.
Me: yeah, they were hard to make, and I don't think they turned out exactly right.
FD: Well, where did you get the recipe? On the computer or something?
Me: my mom gets me this cooking magazine, and I got it from there.
FD: oh. Well, sometimes they don't have very good recipes in magazines. They don't really tell you what it's going to be like.

I thought it was sweet of her to try to make me feel better. Like, it's not YOUR fault they didn't taste good. It's the magazine's. So, I think if I made this again I would have a better idea of time frame and I wouldn't scorch them this time. But nuts are expensive. Also, the texture of the coating was like hard sticky caramel, and I wanted them to be more grainy and stick to the pecans like those cocoa almonds you can buy. So not exactly what I was hoping for, and they didn't turn out right anyway.