Favourite Pecan Pralines
Submitted by Softail
Pecan pralines made the old-fashioned way: white and brown sugar cooked with milk and corn syrup to the medium-ball stage, beaten creamy, then spooned over pecans. A classic Southern brown-sugar candy.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
1 hrsThere’s real candy-making craft behind a good praline, and this one rewards it with creamy, brown-sugar candy loaded with pecans. White and dark brown sugar cook down with milk and a little dark corn syrup, and a candy thermometer is your best friend here, carrying the syrup up through the bubbling stages to the medium-ball point.
The make-or-break moment is the beating. Once it cools slightly, you beat the mixture by hand until it loses its glossy sheen, which is what gives pralines their signature creamy, fudge-like set rather than a hard, glassy candy. It takes a strong arm and a little patience.
As it starts to firm and lump, a tablespoon of hot water beaten in smooths it back to a spoonable consistency, just in time to drop over pecan halves set in cupcake papers. They firm up into glossy, nut-packed mounds.
Chef Tips
- Use a candy thermometer and watch it closely. The window between soft-ball and medium-ball is narrow, and a few degrees changes the texture entirely.
- Use a long-handled wooden spoon and stir constantly. The boiling syrup spits and splatters, so protect your hands.
- The beating is essential. Beat until the sheen dulls, since that’s what makes pralines creamy instead of hard and grainy.
- Work fast once it’s ready. Pralines set quickly, so have your pecans and papers laid out before you start.
Variations
- Toast the pecans first for a deeper, richer flavor.
- Add a pinch of salt or a splash of bourbon for a salted or spiked praline.
- Beat in a little butter at the end for a richer candy.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the white sugar, brown sugar, milk and corn syrup in a heavy about 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to thoroughly dissolve.
Measuring the temperature with a candy thermometer, stir constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon.
When the mixture reaches “jelly” temperature on the thermometer (220 degrees), it will bubble furiously.
Splattering is a danger (this is why you want a spoon with a long handle). You may wish to wear heavy rubber gloves for further protection.
Continue stirring until mixture reaches 256 degrees ("medium-ball” stage). Remove from heat, add vanilla and let it sit for 10 minutes.
During this time, set out the cupcake papers on the countertop and place 3 to 4 pecan halves in each paper. Beat the mixture by hand with the wooden spoon, while it is still in the pan, until it loses its glossy sheen. This can take up to 10 minutes or more, and calls for a strong arm.
At this point, the mixture will very quickly begin to form lumps and harden in the pan. As this begins to happen, return the pan to low heat; add boiling hot water a tablespoon at a time, and beat out the lumps until nearly all are gone.
Add just enough water so that the mixture is somewhat runny and has lost much of its previous lumpy consistency (no more than about ¾ cup of water, and often much less.)
Leaving a few lumps is permissible and often unavoidable. Remove from heat and spoon it into the cupcake papers. Let it harden for 20 to 30 minutes, then remove papers.
Be sure not to let the papers remain on after the candy has hardened somewhat or they will be difficult to remove later. Store the pralines in an airtight container.
Comments
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