Pralines

I went to a Mardi Gras party over the weekend. I wanted to bring something related to the theme - but I didn't want to work very hard or have anything that required heating, cooling, or serving. I thought pralines would be too much of a pin - but I found an easy recipe:

I kept the flam low and it took 20-25 minutes from the temperature to creep up to 238 degrees. The mixture changed considerably over the last few degrees - I think it was important to wait.

After adding the butter, pecans, and vanilla, the mixture cooled very quickly. I was only able to make half of them before the mixture was too cool to form flat pralines. I Made lump pralines with the rest, but they were funny looking and not shiny, so I threw them back in the sauce pan with a bit more evaporated milk, gave them a stir, and reheated them slightly until the mixture was smoother and shiny again - about 5 minutes. This produced acceptably flat, shiny pralines. Yum!


The quintessential New Orleans candy. And it's pronounced or (and sometimes by some of the more wacky locals), NEVER . I've had ferners (that's New Orleansese for "non-New Orleanian") stand before me and insist that it's pronounced . Well bra, I'm from The City where they were invented, and I know how to pronounce it. And you're certainly entitled to your opinion on its pronunciation, no matter how wrong it may be ...

* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup evaporated milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup pecans

Combine the sugar and milk and cook slowly in a heavy pot over a low flame until it reaches the soft ball stage (238 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and add the butter, vanilla and pecans. Beat mixture with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and creamy. Drop by spoonsful onto waxed paper. If the candy does not harden within 10 minutes, it may be cooked some more.

Yield: Approximately one dozen