I woke up with a horrid migraine this morning. Fully intended to go to work but couldnt even make it out of the driveway.....
so 4 motrin later and a cup of tea (someone here recommended caffeine for my headaches before), I felt better but not good enough to go into the office.
So I cleaned, and scrubbed, and made my first batch of pralines. OMG, it smells so good in here and they turned out!!!
I wish I could share them with my friends here....
Pralines
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Miss Mary
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Miss Mary
A praline is a roasted pecan, quickly covered in caramel syrup. The recipe I used called for me to first roast the pecans but not burn them (this was tricky!). Then assemble them all on wax paper. Starting the caramel syrup/coating next: melting butter, adding corn syrup, etc. (similar to caramel coating). I think my recipe called for buttermilk...forget now (they were so rich, I'll never make that recipe again!). You kept stirring and stirring the syrup until it was a specific temp and then immediately put a spoonful over each pecan. Within 30 minutes or so, it all hardened into pieces of candy. I wouldn't say it's hard to make just time consuming and the phone better not ring or something. You cannot stop stirring!!! And you cannot walk away from the caramel syrup otherwise it could boil over all over your stove!
Chad - ya wanna try your hand at this? LOL
Dennis' caramel popcorn recipe is much better and way easier.
Mary
Chad - ya wanna try your hand at this? LOL
Dennis' caramel popcorn recipe is much better and way easier.
Mary
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Here it is. And they're not just for Christmas. We make them all year round....
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 light brown sugar
1/2 + 2 TBSP half and half
1/2 stick butter (do NOT use margarine)
2 cups pecans (i dont roast mine first...)
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients except the pecans and vanilla in a heavy saucepan. The mixture will be thick. Stir until it comes to a boil, then turn heat down so the candy is at a low boil. Stir occasionally, spoon mixture up on the sides to melt any sugar that hasnt melted yet. Cook the mixture until it reaches 239 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Stir until it thickens and start to become creamy and cloudy. Spoon onto waxed paper to harden.
Make sure you have the waxed paper on a cookie sheet. This stuff is hot and will make a mess of your countertop otherwise.
It doesnt take long for these to firm up, less than 30 minutes or so. I gently remove them from the paper and wrap them individually in plastic wrap (the colored stuff is good for the holidays.)
This stuff is SWEET. It is cooked sugar and milk.
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 light brown sugar
1/2 + 2 TBSP half and half
1/2 stick butter (do NOT use margarine)
2 cups pecans (i dont roast mine first...)
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients except the pecans and vanilla in a heavy saucepan. The mixture will be thick. Stir until it comes to a boil, then turn heat down so the candy is at a low boil. Stir occasionally, spoon mixture up on the sides to melt any sugar that hasnt melted yet. Cook the mixture until it reaches 239 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Stir until it thickens and start to become creamy and cloudy. Spoon onto waxed paper to harden.
Make sure you have the waxed paper on a cookie sheet. This stuff is hot and will make a mess of your countertop otherwise.
It doesnt take long for these to firm up, less than 30 minutes or so. I gently remove them from the paper and wrap them individually in plastic wrap (the colored stuff is good for the holidays.)
This stuff is SWEET. It is cooked sugar and milk.
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Miss Mary
Alicia - I might halve this recipe to make small batch for us. Last year I couldn't give them away! "Too sweet" was what I kept hearing.....I have my own caramel popcorn recipe (very similar to Dennis') and receive rave reviews from it. Clipped it 2 years ago from a women's magazine. I like to make a new treat each xmas season to pass out to neighbors and friends. Maybe if my family gives me a thumbs up on your praline recipe, then I'll make more! But they usually want me to go back to making caramel popcorn.
Mary
Mary
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CajunMama
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- Location: 30.22N, 92.05W Lafayette, LA
Here's an easier Praline recipe....
Microwave Pralines
1 lb. light brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups chopped toasted pecans (i don't toast mine)
In a deep microwave safe bowl, mix brown sugar, whipping cream and corn syrup. Microwave on high for 13 minutes.
Add butter until blended. Then stir, stir, stir, stir, stir and stir. (did I say to stir alot?
) until the mixture begins to cool and get creamy. Stir in chopped nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper.
Enjoy!!
Microwave Pralines
1 lb. light brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups chopped toasted pecans (i don't toast mine)
In a deep microwave safe bowl, mix brown sugar, whipping cream and corn syrup. Microwave on high for 13 minutes.
Add butter until blended. Then stir, stir, stir, stir, stir and stir. (did I say to stir alot?
) until the mixture begins to cool and get creamy. Stir in chopped nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper.
Enjoy!!
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Miss Mary
In this region we pronounce them pray-lenes.
Cathy - so basicially what I'm gathering from all these recipes (Alicia, mine and yours), if a person wants to make pralines, they'd better be prepared to stir a lot. If they have Carpal T. Syndrome - forget it! I remember switching arms/hands when I had to stir. I think I had to stir for 8 or 10 minutes until the sauce/syrup lost it's shine (odd that all of these recipes are so different!). I'll have to dig up mine....if I still have it. Found it in the magazine Cooking Light last xmas season.
And the other thing you need is waxed paper! Don't even start this recipe until you have enough to do the job right!
Mary
Cathy - so basicially what I'm gathering from all these recipes (Alicia, mine and yours), if a person wants to make pralines, they'd better be prepared to stir a lot. If they have Carpal T. Syndrome - forget it! I remember switching arms/hands when I had to stir. I think I had to stir for 8 or 10 minutes until the sauce/syrup lost it's shine (odd that all of these recipes are so different!). I'll have to dig up mine....if I still have it. Found it in the magazine Cooking Light last xmas season.
And the other thing you need is waxed paper! Don't even start this recipe until you have enough to do the job right!
Mary
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JenBayles wrote:CajunMama wrote:You do have to stir alot but the mixture is not thick. I just took my time stirring while talking to my daughter and her friend.
Kinda like stirring roux, eh CajunMama?!
Yep, can't stop stirring, you'll burn the mixture. THEN you have to throw it out and start all over again...
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