August 22, 2024

Pralines

Pralines will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Pralines (also known as pecan candy) are delectable southern confections made with sugar, cream and pecans. It is said that pralines originated in France but were made with almonds. When the French settled in Louisiana, almonds were replaced by pecans because they were so plentiful there.

I remember my mother making them but often had to put it back in the pot to reach that important temperature, so they could set up properly. They do take some practice to make but the many trials were worth it. My rejected pralines became gooey goodness or pecan brittle that were great ice cream toppings. My Nanny (Godmother) makes simply delicious pralines with a little bit of chocolate sauce. She would often send a “care package” of individually wrapped pralines to me in Michigan. She motivated me to try them on my own. My children know not to interrupt me when I am making pralines due to the short period of time when the sugar turns to the right “soft ball” stage before it becomes too hard. The critical point is spooning all of it onto the wax paper before the mixture starts to solidify in the pot.

Supplies

Heavy gauge pot
Candy thermometer

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 cup pecans
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Preparation

Place dish towels onto work surface and cover with large pieces of parchment paper.

Put cold water and a couple of ice cubes in a small bowl & set aside to test the candy to see if it is done.

Heat and stir heavy cream and sugars in heavy gauge pot. Stir constantly.

When candy is about 238°, remove from the heat. (Soft Ball Stage= drizzle a little bit of the candy in the bowl of cold water to see that it forms a soft ball.) Add butter and vanilla and continue to stir until the candy becomes creamier. It will appear lighter in color.