New Orleans Pralines Recipes

BOURBON PECAN PRALINES

Steps:

• Grease 2 baking sheets; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugars, then the cream; cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage), about 20 minutes. , Remove from the heat; stir in the pecan halves, chopped pecans and bourbon. Immediately drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Let stand until pralines are set and no longer glossy. Store in an airtight container.

CREAMY NEW ORLEANS PRALINES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, milk, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to 230°F Lower heat slightly if the mixture threatens to boil over.
• Add the pecans and continue cooking, stirring constantly, to 236°F The mixture should form a soft ball when a little is dropped in cold water. Remove from the heat and add vanilla; let stand for about 5 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thickened and slightly creamy, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
• Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, spoon the pralines onto a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. If the mixture becomes grainy, heat and stir over medium heat for a few seconds, or until it can be easily scooped and dropped.
• Optional Toasted Pecans:.
• Heat oven to 350°. Spread chopped pecans out on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the chopped pecans are lightly browned and aromatic. This can also be achieved by microwaving pecans on a microwave-safe plate in 30 second increments.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.

EASY NEW ORLEANS PRALINES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add the cream and both sugars and continue cooking until the sugars are dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture reaches 240-250 degrees F, stirring occasionally. (If the mixture begins to crystallize you can add 2 more tablespoons of the cream and continue cooking until it loosens up)
• Add the pecans, remove from heat and give the mixture a final gentle stir. Use a wooden spoon, portion about 2 tablespoons of the praline mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1 inch between them. (If the mixture begins to crystallize and set up before you finish portioning all of the pralines, add an additional 2 tablespoons of cream to the saucepan and set the pan over medium heat until the mixture is creamy, then continue portioning the candies.) Cool for at least 30 minutes before transferring to an airtight container.

CREAMY PECAN PRALINES

Steps:

• Mix light brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, butter, water and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Stir in pecans and cook over medium heat until mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 238 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. If you spoon a drop of boiling syrup into a cup of ice water, it will form a soft ball that flattens easily between your fingers.
• Remove pan from heat and stir rapidly until mixture thickens. Drop pralines by the spoonfuls, 1-inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Let cool completely until firm. Store in an airtight container.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE PRALINES

Steps:

• Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Have 2 small spoons ready for scooping. Bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup and orange zest to a gentle simmer in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk or wooden spoon (do not let the cream mixture boil over). Simmer, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and light brown in color and a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F (soft-ball stage), 20 to 30 minutes (start by stirring occasionally, then switch to stirring constantly when the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan). Stir in the pecans and salt; the temperature will drop at least 5 degrees F to 10 degrees F.
• Continue to simmer, stirring, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan (the thermometer should register 246 degrees F to 247 degrees F). To test for doneness, drop a quarter-size amount onto a prepared baking sheet: The mixture should hold a rounded shape and look dull; if it runs out flat, continue cooking.
• Use the small spoons to spoon about quarter-size mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. Let sit until cool, set and dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the pralines are still too soft to pick up after a few hours, let them sit in a cool, dry place, uncovered, for 1 or 2 days. Once dry, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.