Pralinedust Recipes

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.

PRALINE DUST

Steps:

• Spray a baking sheet with vegetable-oil cooking spray, wiping off any excess with a paper towel; set aside. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir to combine. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook without stirring until the sugar mixture reaches 295 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.
• Stir in 3/4 cup pistachios, the butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Return to heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Working quickly, spread mixture. Set aside to cool.
• Break brittle into small pieces. Place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until powdery.

PECAN PRALINES

Steps:

• Place both types sugar and the cream in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the temperature reaches 228 degrees on candy thermometer, stir in the butter and pecans and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 236 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the candy coats the pecans but does not lose its gloss. Drop the pralines 1 tablespoon at a time onto a well-greased piece of aluminum foil or a slab of confectioner's marble. Allow the pralines to cool. They can be eaten as is, stored in tins, or crumbled over vanilla ice cream for a New Orleans - style dessert.

PRALINE DUST

Steps:

• Lightly brown the nuts in an oven.
• cook the water and sugar until the caramel stage is reached.
• mix in the nuts.
• Turn out the micture on a baking sheet lined with baking parchement and lightly oiled.
• Allow to become quite cold.
• Crush to a coarse sand texture with a rolling pin, or break into chunks and place in a processor with a blade attachment.
• Store in an airtight container.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Put 2 cups sugar, milk, and butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook to softball stage, 234 degrees F. When almost ready, caramelize the remaining 1 cup sugar in another heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat, stirring often, so sugar does not get too dark. As soon as sugar granules are totally dissolved, turn off heat and carefully add a few spoonfuls of candy mixture to caramelized sugar liquid, stirring constantly and thoroughly. Pour all back into saucepan of candy and mix quickly with wire whip or cooking spoon. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and continue beating candy for 10 to 15 minutes or as long as it takes for candy to lose its sheen and begin to thicken. Quickly stir in pecans and, using 2 soupspoons, scoop small mounds onto papered cookie sheets. Let set. Store in covered tins.
• If candy gets too hard before it is all scooped, place in safe container and warm in microwave until of good consistency to finish scooping.

CLASSIC PRALINES

Steps:

• Rub a marble, glass or Formica surface with the oil.
• Use a saucepan with a very heavy bottom to prepare this candy. Put the sugar and water in saucepan, and bring to boil. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or to a temperature of about 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Remove syrup from heat and add nuts, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until syrup becomes grainy. Return saucepan to heat and cook, stirring, until syrup hardens and becomes white. Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar grains melt and become liquid again. This requires time and patience. The cooking time will vary, depending on the intensity of the heat. Cook, stirring, until syrup takes on a dark, translucent, caramel color. This may require 10 to 15 minutes. Do not allow syrup to scorch or burn, or it will become bitter.
• Immediately pour and scrape the candy onto the lightly oiled surface. Smooth over the top. Let stand until cool and totally hardened.
• Candy may be broken into pieces or left whole; pieces may be pulverized in a food processor for use on top of ice cream or as a garnish or ingredient in such things as souffles in butter creams.

SOUTHERN PRALINES

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until a candy thermometer reads 230° (thread stage), stirring occasionally., Carefully stir in pecans and butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage)., Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until candy thickens and begins to lose its gloss, about 4-5 minutes. , Quickly drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper; spread to form 2-in. patties. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

PEANUT PRALINES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine sugar, buttermilk and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reds 234°-240° (soft-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Add peanut butter, vanilla, baking soda and peanuts; stir rapidly until mixture is thickened and creamy. Drop quickly by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined or lightly buttered baking sheets, shaping into patties. Let stand until cool and set. Store in an airtight container.

OLD-FASHIONED PRALINES

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients and bring to soft ball stage (230 to 240 degrees), stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir until mixture thickens, becomes creamy and cloudy, and pecans stay suspended in mixture.
• Spoon out on aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Makes approximately fifteen to twenty pralines, depending on size.
• Note: To roast pecans, bake them on a sheet pan at 275 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly brown.