Pralines

[kcdixiecat]

This recipe came out of 12/11/08 Times Picayune. I've decided that I am becoming my mom and grandma. I can remember laughing about how their cookbooks were always splattered with whatever they were cooking...well, I had to peel praline off of the paper to copy down the recipe just now!

1 pound light brown sugar (or raw sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups pecan halves

Mix the sugar, salt, milk and butter in a heavy pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Add the pecans and cook over medium heat to the soft ball stage, or until a candy thermometer reaches 234to 240 degrees. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Stir rapidly until the mixture continues to thicken and coats the pecans lightly.

Drop by the spoonful onto wax or parchment paper. When the candy has cooled, gently lift from the surface with a thin knife. Store in an airtight container.

Tip: If the candy becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water to the mixture and stir to mix.

These were SO EASY and they turned out wonderfully. It made about 20. I am going to make a couple more batches and spoon them out smaller. I've been a baking fool for the past week. I'm sending tins of homebaked goodies to Doug's family in Kansas and Missouri...and I'll take mine home to Kentucky with me for the holidays. The house smells wonderful though! Our weinies keep walking thru the kitchen sniffing the air....lol

[BobRSnow]

OK, with the oversight of my lovely wife, I made this recipe last night.
The mixture got hard very fast. Two cups of pecan pieces was way too much. Whole pecan halves (small ones) would be better, or simply less.
They came out a dark color due to the light brown sugar. I didn't care for that.
I'll make this recipe again with fewer pecans, white sugar and perhaps a touch more cream.

This was easier than I thought, and didn't take long at all. 30 minutes from start to finish.

[fine66]

KCD your recipe looks easy enough, but this is the one my Grandmother used. (I guess she was a very hip grandmother, none of that stove top cooking for her)

4 qt. glass microwave dish
1 c. whipping cream
1 lb. light brown sugar
2 c. pecan halves
2 tbsp. butter, room temperature

Mix brown sugar and cream in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 13 minutes*. Add butter and pecans, stir quickly. Drop in spoonfuls onto foil. Yield: about 20 large pralines.

*after searching other recipes on the web it looks like the 13 minutes is for a 700 watt microwave. Last year I purchased a new microwave (1100 watts) and after the 4th batch figured out 9 minutes was long enough.

This is a super easy and very tasty recipe that was published by Entergy, back when they included recipe cards with your bill each month. I'll be making at least 3 batches this weekend.

[Isabella Maja]

This recipe came out of 12/11/08 Times Picayune.

1 pound light brown sugar (or raw sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups pecan halves

Mix the sugar, salt, milk and butter in a heavy pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Add the pecans and cook over medium heat to the soft ball stage, or until a candy thermometer reaches 234to 240 degrees. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Stir rapidly until the mixture continues to thicken and coats the pecans lightly.

Drop by the spoonful onto wax or parchment paper. When the candy has cooled, gently lift from the surface with a thin knife. Store in an airtight container.

Tip: If the candy becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water to the mixture and stir to mix.

Thanks KCDC for the recipe & starting this thread and since you've become such the Suzy Homemaker, and you're going to make more pralines, I am wondering if you would be willing to do an experiment?

If not, that's cool, I'll probably do it if I can find the time to make the pralines . . . yeah, right.

Here's what I am wondering . . . I'd like to combine the 2 recipes posted here. I want to use your method . . . as I don't have a microwave (I'd prefer stovetop anyway).

But I'd like to use 1 cup whipping cream instead and 2 T Butter as the microwave recipe states. I like the addition of salt in yours. I'm absolutely going for the 2 C pecans, that makes the praline imho!

What do you think? Will this work? Do you want to experiment?
I have no expectations, of you doing this, just asking cuz I think you're a good sport!

What do you spoon your pralines out on?
Waxed Paper or Parchment? Which works better?

I have only made pralines a handful or so times & each time I do I swear it will probably not happen again for a long time! I don't have alot of counter space or room to spread out, which is probably why.
I need a serious kitchen makeover.

BTW, KCDC, I got your PM. I can't reply because I need to clear out my PM box. I wish we had more space in there. I will do so, but please check your email in the meantime.

Bob, I know I have heard of using half white sugar & half brown sugar. I always use brown or raw sugar.

[kcdixiecat]

Sure...I'll try it. I'm going to play in the kitchen tomorrow and Saturday...then leaving here bright and early for a 16 hour drive to Kentucky. But..I'm warning you...if the recipe doesn't turn out...I'm going to throw it at your front door:laughup:

[kcdixiecat]

Ok, Isabella. I'll be over tomorrow with a jar of praline goo for you to put on ice cream. I tried it twice..not sure why..but they will not set up. So, I made it again with the evaporated milk and they turned out perfectly. Doug isn't complaining....he says it will be good on his ice cream while I'm gone home for the holidays.