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Pecan Pralines

Source of Recipe


From "A Love Affair with Southern Cooking"



List of Ingredients



• 3 cups sugar
  
• 1-1/2 cups milk
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 2 Tbsp butter
  
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
  






Instructions



1. Cut 20 four-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil, place dull side up, butter each well, then arrange -- not touching -- on baking sheets. Set aside.
   
   
2. Mix the sugar, milk, and salt well in a large, deep, very heavy pan, then drop in the butter. Insert a candy thermometer, set over moderately low heat, and bring to a boil without stirring.
   
   
3. Reduce the heat slightly and continue cooking without stirring until the candy reaches the soft-ball stage (238°F on a candy thermometer). This may take as long as an hour. If you try to rush things, your pralines will be gritty.
   
   
4. The instant the candy thermometer reaches 238°, set the pan off the heat and stir in the pecans. Beat hard with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds, then pour the candy onto the buttered foil squares, making each praline about 3 inches across. You'll have to work fast because the candy hardens quickly.
   
   
5. Let the pralines cool for an hour, then peel off the foil and arrange in a single layer on a large platter. Or layer between sheets of wax paper in an airtight canister and store in a cool, dry spot.
   
   Makes about 20.
   
   






Final Comments


"There may be as many recipes for pralines as there are cooks. Some like to begin by boiling pure cane syrup down until it as dark as molasses. Others prefer brown or granulated sugar. And still others favor buttermilk over sweet milk. I've tried many different praline recipes and keep returning to this one given to me nearly 25 years ago by a wonderful Cajun cook named Miss Tootie Guirard of St. Martin Parish."

Tip: Choose a dry sunny day for making pralines. They won't firm up in rainy or humid weather.