Grams candy

Pralines are the kind of Southern sweet that humbles a lot of cooks, because the whole thing comes down to reading the brown sugar syrup right. Bring the sugar, milk, and salt to a boil, drop in the pecans, and cook until it thickens up, around twenty minutes of patient stirring.

Butter and vanilla go in at the very end, off the heat. That late addition is what gives pralines their creamy, fudgy pull instead of a hard candy snap.

The real trick is the spooning. Work fast once you start, because the syrup sets quick as it cools. Drop it onto a buttered pan, let it firm up, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Chef Tips

• Use a heavy-bottomed pot. Brown sugar scorches fast, and a burnt batch can’t be rescued.
• Stir constantly toward the end. The syrup turns from thick to set in a hurry, and you want it spreadable when it hits the pan.
• Toast the pecans first in a dry skillet for a few minutes. It deepens their flavor and keeps them crisp inside the soft candy.

Variations

• Add a splash of bourbon with the vanilla for grown-up bourbon pralines.
• Scatter a little flaky salt over the tops before they set for a salted-caramel edge.