epicurean.com
Recipes Articles Book Reviews Shopping Forum Contact

New Orleans Roasted Pecan Pralines

from 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes by Jane Sharrock
New Orleans Roasted Pecan Pralines

Dipping Sauce:
1 1/2 cups pecans, in large pieces
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup milk (see Cook's Notes, below)
6 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 25 to 30

This and many other wonderful recipes may be found in Editors of Jane Sharrock's
300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes: Brittles, Caramels, Chocolate, Fudge, Truffles and So Much More

 



Anyone who has eaten New Orleans's famous "prahleens" will be happy to have my cousin Margaret's authentic recipe for these traditional sugary candies from a New Orleans cooking school. Be bold; try one of the unusual flavors.

Preheat oven to 275°F.

1. Spread the pecans in a shallow pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pecans are slightly browned and the smell of roasted pecans permeates the room.

2. Cover a large countertop area or a large baking sheet with buttered waxed paper (see Cook's Notes), buttered foil or parchment paper.

3. In saucepan, combine the granulated and brown sugars and milk, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the butter and roasted pecans. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, to the soft ball stage (234°F to 240°F, with 238°F recommended).

4. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla. Beat by hand until the candy thickens and becomes creamy and cloudy and the pecans stay suspended in the mixture. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto the buttered paper or foil. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

Cook's Notes:
If using waxed paper, protect the countertop by placing newspaper or parchment paper underneath the waxed paper so that hot wax from the paper does not transfer onto the countertop.

Generally, it is best to use milk with minimum 2% fat for candies because the additional fat content helps produce a creamy texture. If preferred, experiment with lower fat milks to see if you notice a difference. Variations

Flavored and Spiced Pralines: Add 1 tsp of your favorite flavoring, such as coffee or brandy or 1/2 to 1 tsp of your favorite spice, such as ground ginger or nutmeg, to the mixture before cooking.

Praline Sauce: Add 1/2 cup light (white or golden) corn syrup to the mixture before cooking. Follow the directions above but do not drop onto waxed paper. Serve the sauce warm over ice cream or other desserts.

Chocolate-Covered Pralines: Dip the cooled pralines into melted chocolate to coat, placing on waxed paper until the chocolate hardens.


Copyright © 2014 Epicurean.com & Robert Rose
All rights reserved