PECAN PRALINES ( HOLIDAY SPECIAL)

Hi all, its the holiday season and this recipe that I tried today depicts holiday for me. I came across this dish when my colleague bought it to work. It was delicious and addictive. I tried my best to get it from the local stores but never did. So, once the holidays started, with kids at home decided to try to make it. Looked online and decided to make it. So sharing the recipe with all of you. Its called

PECAN PRALINES

Pralines are basically a french term for a confection of nuts and sugar. Its very popular in some southern states especially Texas, Georgia etc.

INGREDIENTS

Pecan Halves: 2 cups toasted in the oven for about 8 minutes at 350'F

Granulated white Sugar: 1- 1/2 cup

Brown Sugar: 1-1/2 cup

Salt: 1/4th Tsp

Unsalted Butter: 6 Tbsp

Half n half: 1 cup or Evaporated Milk 1 cup

Vanilla Extract: 1 Tsp

Pecan Pralines

MAKING

First, toast the pecan halves,in a baking tray lined with baking sheet for about 6-8 minutes at 350'F

Next in a heavy bottom medium pan, add in the Butter, Sugar both white and brown, half n half cream, and salt. Mix it up and stir with a wooden spatula until the mix gets to a boil and reached 235-240 degrees in a candy thermometer. 

if you don't have a candy thermometer, once the liquid gets to a boil, after about 5-6 minutes of constant stirring. drop a bit of the liquid into a bowl of cold water. it should round up to become a soft ball when the sugar -butter liquid touches the cold water....that's when you know to take it off the stove.

Switch off the gas, take the pan off the stove and allow the sugar liquid to cool for about 5 minutes. 

Now add in the toasted pecans and vanilla extract and stir it continuously until the glossiness of the liquid is gone and the entire mixture begins to tighten up.

Take a lined up baking tray and drop the mixture into the tray. Make sure the mixture is not runny but standing on its own. drop all the mix using an ice cream scoop and allow it to cool. 

Delicious Pecan Pralines are ready to eat. Eat it warm at room temperature or cool it and store it in an air tight container.

Its addictive and you wont stop with one.

TIPS/VARIATIONS

You could chop the pecan halves into smaller pieces if you want to. I just halved them.

You could skip toasting the pecans. I preferred to toast it.

You could reduce the sugar quantity if you do not like too sweet

You could also maybe do 2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar

You could add semi sweet chocolate about 2 Tbsp in the mix when adding the pecans to make chocolate pralines.

You could avoid vanilla extract or reduce the quantity to 1/2 Tsp.

You could use evaporated milk to get added taste.