Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pecan Pralines



Ok so it's less than a week before Christmas and it's been crazy in my house. Yes crazy. My daughter and I have been in the kitchen baking. She wanted to learn.

Normally I have a no kids in the kitchen policy. It's just too dangerous, but she wanted to learn a bit and have some mommy daughter time......so in the kitchen we went. It was such fun. We made lots of goodies for you.

Do you know how hard it is to get pictures of things when they get devoured in the matter of seconds.....YES seconds. These people are vultures!

Well I'm going to share some of my recipes with you. Yes SHARE. It's not in my nature to share. I guess as a kid I was never taught to do this......or I was and as usual I just didn't listen.

BUT........

In the spirit of Christmas I'm going to share.

Yesterday I shared my chocolate pie recipe

today........... Pecan Pralines.

You know I'm a New Orleans girl and this is my FAVORITE treat EVER! Yes ever.....well that and King Cake. Mardi Gras is around the corner ya know.....and I'm stoked. Yes, it's true it's all about boobies, liquor and beads......NO, SERIOUSLY.

So on to the Pralines. These make a great gift to give someone. Just put in a cello bag and tie with some cute Christmas ribbon......Ta Daaaaaa......a gift for your neighbors, if you don't eat them all. They're that good.


Pralines


2 c light brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1 c heavy cream
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Tbsp water
1 c pecan halves



1) In a saucepan with a heavy bottom combine all ingredients EXCEPT the pecans

 2) Place over a medium/high heat and stir CONSTANTLY.
3) Continue to stir until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (about 240˚)
 (picture below isn't quite there yet)
 We're there!
 4) after it reaches 240˚ remove from heat and add the pecans to the candy. 
 5) Continue to stir VIGOROUSLY with a wooden spoon until 
the candy cools and the pecans remain suspended in the candy.....about 2 minutes 
(does my spoon count as wooden if it has a wooden handle?)
 6) Spoon the pralines out onto a parchment lined pan. 
Or if all of your pans are being used to decorate cookies like mine......
line your counter with parchment paper.
7) after the pralines are completely cooled and have set up a couple hours 
you can bag them with cute ribbon or you can eat them all yourself
and make a second batch for your family and friends, like I did.

3 comments:

  1. Delicious! So glad that you and your daughter had such fun baking together.

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  2. Those look SO delicious!! I make pralines every Christmas. (I can't make them more often than that or I'd be as big as a house!) I taught my daughter how to make them a couple of years ago (she was 15) and she's better at it than I am! I usually use a "secret" family recipe, but I'm going to have to try yours. They look so yummy!!

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