Dickey's Pralines

So earlier in the week I shared the first half of my candy-making adventure with my friend Amy. Now it's time for the rest: PRALINES!

I've made pralines before, from my friend Nana D's recipe. So this time, Amy brought her brother-in-law Dickey's recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
16 large marshmallows
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
These are another candy that can be a bit finicky about weather, but not as much as divinity.  Even so, best to make this on a low humidity day.

Put all the ingredients in a pot, except the vanilla.  Cook over medium heat until the marshmallows melt.  Stir constantly, until at soft ball stage (about 240-250*F).  

Remove from the stove, add vanilla, and beat until thick.  Then spoon onto parchment paper and let rest until cooled completely.

So--in the interest of candor:  Our first batch didn't set up properly.  We only brought them up to about 236*F, forgot to add the vanilla, and then didn't really do the whole "beat until thick".  As such, the batch we made at my house stayed soft, like a caramel.  Still super delicious, but a little limp and sticky*.  They did finally start to properly harden the next day.*

* "That's what she said."

As I mentioned in the last post, I decided to dip some of them in chocolate.  I figured if they didn't harden up, at least the chocolate would add some structural integrity.

Amy decided not to accept defeat, and made a second batch at her house the next day.  We met up during the work week and swapped candies: I gave her half of the divinity (and some of the chocolate dipped pralines) and she shared some of her properly set pralines.  And I gotta say--while the first batch were really tasty, the second batch with the vanilla---man.  It's crazy to think how much just a tiny bit of vanilla rounds out a flavor profile.

Thirsty Thursday: Candied Praline

I'm so glad to see the weather outside finally warming up so we can enjoy our porch!  Well...when it's not raining and soaking our chair cushions.  Apparently some of those April showers got delayed.  We can probably blame DFW airport--I always seem to get stuck there too. :)

I've been having a lot of fun coming up with things to use this Praline Liqueur  from New Orleans in.  So far, we've used it to sweeten up an Irish Channel coffee and add a nutty hint to pineapple upside down pancakes.  Then I whipped up this cocktail the other night to enjoy out on the porch after work.  The ginger ale helps to balance out the sweetness of the liqueur.  And for fun, I threw a little chiffonade of basil in there for the aromatics.

INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Praline Liqueur
4 oz ginger ale
Ice
basil chiffonade (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Muddle basil with ice, and then add the liqueur and ginger ale.  Drink outside.  Enjoy!

Tuesday Timbits: Pecans, and a Praline Recipe!

Okay, so obviously pecans aren't exclusive to Louisiana--I mean, my husband's mom has one in her back yard. But pecans ARE integral to the state... from the Louisiana Pecan Festival in Colfax each year, to Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish, to the plethora of pecan farmers across the state, you almost can't go to Louisiana without being served something with pecans on it.

NERDY BIT: (I'm a scientist, so bear with me) Pecans are the drupe or "fruit" of the Carya illinoinensis tree, a member of the hickory genus and the Juglandaceae (walnut) family. They're native to south-central North America, as they thrive in areas with long, hot summers, and relatively moderate winters. The US produces approximately 80-95% of the world's commercial supply of pecans. A pecan tree can live & bear edible fruit for more than 300 years.



One of the most well-known Louisiana uses for pecans would be pralines (PRAH-leens), and one of the most famous New Orleanian praline maker is Aunt Sally's, which are available in a variety of fantastic flavors:



However, if you can't get to Louisiana to pick up a praline...you can always make them yourself!

While living in Louisiana, I was taught how to make pralines from scratch by a friend's mom, a wonderfully sweet Cajun lady who I've referred to here previously as Nana D. Nana D shared with me her recipe, which comes from this cookbook:

That she's had since she was 20-something. Well...she has the original--she made me this copy, since her book is rather old & quite delicate. I did a little research, and this cookbook was put out in 1975 by the Louisiana Power & Light Company.

Note: This recipe has not been modified from the original, as it's tough to "health-up" candy without screwing with the chemistry of it.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light cream
2 tbsp butter
1 cup Louisiana pecan halves

Directions:
Dissolve sugars in cream and boil to the "thread test" (or 228 degrees Fahrenheit, if you have a candy thermometer), stirring occasionally. Add butter & pecans: cook until syrup reachs soft-ball test (236 F). Cool, and beat until somewhat thickened but not until it loses its gloss, and drop by tablespoonful onto a greased marble slab or double thickness of waxed paper. You need to do this rather quickly, otherwise the "dough" will start to harden. The candy will flatten out into large cakes. Makes about 12 pralines.



Nutrition Facts:
Calories 232.2
Total Fat 10.3 g
Saturated Fat 3.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.7 g
Cholesterol 11.7 mg
Sodium 25.0 mg
Potassium 113.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 42.7 g
Dietary Fiber 0.9 g
Sugars 41.5 g
Protein 1.1 g