Paul Prudhome's Praline Recipe
Makes about 3 dozen
The trickiest part about making pralines is judging the precise moment when
they are done (See NOTE) and then spooning them out quickly so they will
harden with just the right texture.
Note: To judge doneness, the use of one or more of the following guides.
1. Candy Thermometer will real 240 degrees
2. When done, the batter will begin forming distinct threads on the sides or
bottom of the pan.
3. Near the end of the cooking time, make a test praline every few seconds.
The early-test pralines will be somewhat runny, very shiny and somewhat
translucent. The ideal praline will have progressed past that stage - it will
not be runny and will be less shiny; when cooled it will be opaque, lusterless
and crumbly instead of chewy.
4. Near the end of the cooking time, drizzle spoonfuls of the mixture across
the surface of the mixture. When ready, the mixture will form a neat thread
across the surface.
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons vanilla
Assembly all ingredients and utensils before starting to cook. You will
need a large heavy-bottomed aluminum pot or skillet with deep sides, a
long=handled metal which or spoon, 2 large spoons (or an ice-cream scoop with
a manual release) and a lightly buttered cookie sheet.
Be careful not to get any of the mixture on your skin, as it sticks and can
cause serious burns.
Melt the butter in the pot over high heat. As soon as it's melted, add the
sugars and cream. Cook 1 minute. whisking constantly. Add the milk and chopped
pecans. Cook 4 minutes mores, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium
and continue cooking and whisking 5 minutes. Add the pecan halves and vanilla
and continue whisking and cooking until done, about 15 to 20 minutes longer
(see NOTE on tests for doneness) If the mixture starts to smoke toward the end
of cooking, lower the heat.
Remove pan from heat. Quickly and carefully drop the batter onto the cookie
sheet by heaping spoonfuls, using the second spoon to scoop the batter off the
first. Each praline should form a 2-inch patty about 1/2 inch thick. Cool and
store in an airtight container, or wrap praline in plastic wrap or foil.
~ Mary
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