Pralines
I'm sad to say I have found that most of the f-list has no idea what a Praline is.
How have you lived this long without this bit of goodness in your life?!?!?!
I will say this recipe is trixy. You have to prepare ahead of time. You have to pay attention to the steps. And if you mess up, make notes or ask where you think you went wrong. Believe me, I've made enough sticky batches of this that didn't set up to know where I went wrong.
Originally from here. It's a good site with lots of hints. I strongly recommend you reading at least the first bit.
New Orleans Pralines
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Half and Half
1/2 stick of butter (4 Tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heavy Saucepan (I strongly recommend enameled cast iron or something equally heavy & stick proof).
High temp silicone spatula.
Wax Paper or Reynolds Non-stick foil. 3 2-foot sections is usually good. Set out before you start cooking.
Candy Thermometer.
Combine all ingredients except the pecans and vanilla in the saucepan. Start on medium heat and stir until well blended. Continue scraping the sides.
When it starts to bubble increase heat.
Cook until the mixture reaches 239 degrees with a candy thermometer. If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring it to the soft ball stage.
Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and the pecans. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes creamy and cloudy. Spoon onto waxed paper to harden. This must be done quickly or it will set up in your pan.
What usually happens is that by the time the mixture turns cloudy, signaling that it is time to drop onto the waxed paper, it starts hardening too fast to drop correctly. You should then stir in about 1 - 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin the mixture. Don't add too much - just enough to make the spoonfuls drop and settle in a "puddle". You don't want them to look like chunks of rocks.
If cooked to the correct temperature, it won't take a minute to harden by stirring. If you don't cook them long enough, they remain "sticky" and never become firm. They should be firm, yet creamy. If you don't eat them all the first day, wrap them individually and store them in an airtight container.
How have you lived this long without this bit of goodness in your life?!?!?!
I will say this recipe is trixy. You have to prepare ahead of time. You have to pay attention to the steps. And if you mess up, make notes or ask where you think you went wrong. Believe me, I've made enough sticky batches of this that didn't set up to know where I went wrong.
Originally from here. It's a good site with lots of hints. I strongly recommend you reading at least the first bit.
New Orleans Pralines
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Half and Half
1/2 stick of butter (4 Tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heavy Saucepan (I strongly recommend enameled cast iron or something equally heavy & stick proof).
High temp silicone spatula.
Wax Paper or Reynolds Non-stick foil. 3 2-foot sections is usually good. Set out before you start cooking.
Candy Thermometer.
Combine all ingredients except the pecans and vanilla in the saucepan. Start on medium heat and stir until well blended. Continue scraping the sides.
When it starts to bubble increase heat.
Cook until the mixture reaches 239 degrees with a candy thermometer. If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring it to the soft ball stage.
Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and the pecans. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes creamy and cloudy. Spoon onto waxed paper to harden. This must be done quickly or it will set up in your pan.
What usually happens is that by the time the mixture turns cloudy, signaling that it is time to drop onto the waxed paper, it starts hardening too fast to drop correctly. You should then stir in about 1 - 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin the mixture. Don't add too much - just enough to make the spoonfuls drop and settle in a "puddle". You don't want them to look like chunks of rocks.
If cooked to the correct temperature, it won't take a minute to harden by stirring. If you don't cook them long enough, they remain "sticky" and never become firm. They should be firm, yet creamy. If you don't eat them all the first day, wrap them individually and store them in an airtight container.