New
Orleans Pralines Recipes
Classic
Pralines of New Orleans
You most certainly have often heard of,
that one should partake when visiting New
Orleans Mardi Gras.
Praline
is a family of confections made from nuts
and sugar syrup, and of a pastry ingredient
made from them.
In Europe,
the nuts are usually almonds or sometimes
hazelnuts. In Louisiana and Texas, pecans
are almost always used, and cream is often
incorporated into the mixture.
As originally
invented in France, pralines were whole
almonds individually coated in caramelized
sugar, as opposed to dark nougat, where
a sheet of caramelized sugar covers many
nuts. The powder made by grinding up such
sugar-coated nuts is called 'pralin' or
'praliné' in French, and is an ingredient
in many cakes and pastries.
In most other
countries the word 'praline' is used to
mean this powder, or even a paste, often
used to fill chocolates, hence its use by
synecdoche in The Netherlands, Germany,
and Belgium to refer to filled chocolates
in general. In Great Britain, the term can
refer either to praline (the filling for
chocolates) or, less commonly, to the original
whole-nut pralines.
Pralines
Pralines were named for the French diplomat
César du Plessis-Praslin, later Duc
de Choiseul. The praline (originally spelled
prasline) is said to be named after the
French soldier and diplomat Marshal du Plessis-Praslin
(1598-1675), whose cook supposedly invented
it. The cook, Clément Lassagne, after
retiring from the marshal's service, is
said to have founded the Maison de la Praline,
a confectioner's shop which still exists
in Montargis, 110 km south of Paris. The
name has certainly existed since the 18th
century, but there is no secure connection
with the Marshal or his cook.
And now
you can make them at home.
How
To Make Real New Orleans Pralines
Directions:
Traditional
New Orleans Praline
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup light cream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups pecans, halves
In a heavy
iron pan, combine 2 cups of the sugar with
the cream and butter, and bring to a boil
over medium heat.
In a separate
heavy pan, melt the remaining sugar and
cook it until it is caramel-colored. Add
the cream, butter and sugar syrup to the
caramel mixture. Add pecan halves, and cook
the mixture to the soft-ball stage —
235 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Remove the
pan from the heat and beat the mixture until
it thickens. Drop spoonsful of the mixture
onto wax paper to form pralines about 2
to 3 inches in diameter. Let the pralines
harden.
Voodoo Pralines
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In saucepan,
combine buttermilk, sugar, baking soda and
salt. Bring to a boil and simmer slowly
until mixture forms a hard ball when dropped
into cold water. Do not stir more than necessary
during this cooking period.
Remove from
heat; add pecans and vanilla extract. Beat
until dull. Drop by tablespoons onto foil.
Let stand at least 30 minutes to cream and
harden.
NOTE: Humidity
will cause pralines to become sugary.
Marie
Laveau Butterscotch Love Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) package butterscotch morsels
1/2 to 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or
pecans
Combine sugars,
water, corn syrup, vinegar and salt in a
2-quart saucepan. Boil over high heat for
three minutes, but do not stir.
Remove from
the heat, add butterscotch morsels and beat
until smooth and morsels are melted. The
mixture will be thin. Stir in nuts and drop
by tablespoonsful onto ungreased foil or
brown paper. Mixture may be thinned with
warm water, a little at a time, if necessary.
Let pralines stand at room temperature to
set or chill in the refrigerator.
New
Orleans White Or Pink Pralines
These dainty white or pink pralines are
peculiar to Creole confections and are much
sought after by visitors to New Orleans.
2 cups granulated
sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups freshly-grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
Use a copper
or other heavy saucepan. Put sugar into
the saucepan with the water and let it boil
well. When it begins to form a syrup, remove
it from the heat and stir in the grated
coconut. Mix thoroughly and return the pan
to the heat. Be careful to stir the mixture
constantly from the time you add the coconut.
Cook it for 2 to 3 minutes; it will begin
to bubble and should have reached the thread
stage on a candy thermometer. This will
be sufficient cooking if you wish the pralines
to be light and flaky. Add the coloring,
if using, just before taking the mixture
from the heat.
Have ready
a wet marble slab or buttered platter. Take
a kitchen spoon and use it to drop spoonsful
of the mixture onto the slab or platter,
spreading them out with a fork until they
form neat round cakes about 1/4 inch thick
and 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Let them
dry, then take a knife and gently raise
them from the slab or dish.
Bourbon
Street Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/3 cups broken pecans or walnuts
5 tablespoons bourbon
Combine sugar,
baking soda, buttermilk and salt in large
saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until
candy thermometer registers 210 degrees
F.
Add butter
and pecans. Cook, stirring constantly, to
230 degrees F.
Remove from
heat and stir in bourbon; cool one minute.
Beat by hand until mixture begins to thicken
(about 5 minutes). Drop by tablespoon onto
wax paper; let stand until firm.
New
Orleans Chocolate Pecan Pralines
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown or maple sugar
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup pecans, broken into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a heavy
saucepan, combine the sugars, cream and
salt. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture
over medium heat until it reaches 228 degrees
F on a candy thermometer.
Add chocolate,
butter and pecans, and, stirring constantly,
cook the mixture to the soft-ball stage
— 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Remove the
pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract;
let the candy cool for 5 minutes. Beat the
candy for 10 to 15 seconds, or until it
thickens slightly.
Using a large
spoon, immediately drop the mixture in mounds
onto buttered plates or wax paper. If the
mixture becomes too thick to drop. stir
in a tablespoonful of hot water to thin
it.
All
Saint Day New Orleans Creamy Pralines
Butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups pecan pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract
Grease wax
paper sheet with butter, then set aside.
Combine sugar
and next 5 ingredients in a large heavy
saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring gently,
until butter melts. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly, until mixture reaches
soft ball stage (238 degrees F), about 15
minutes.
Remove from
heat; stir in pecans and flavorings. Beat
with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins
to thicken. Working rapidly, drop by rounded
tablespoonsful onto prepared wax paper.
Let stand until firm.
New
Orleans Voodoo Offering Pralines
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup light molasses
2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups pecans, halves
Boil brown
sugar, molasses, cream and butter together,
stirring all the time, until the sugar dissolves.
Continue boiling without stirring until
a soft ball is formed when a drop is placed
in cold water.
Remove from
the heat, add the vanilla extract and nuts,
and stir the mixture until it begins to
crystallize. Drop spoonsful of the mixture
in small heaps on buttered baking sheets,
leaving enough room between the pralines
for them to spread slightly.
Royal
Street Pralines
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup water
12 large marshmallows
1 quart pecan halves
In a saucepan
combine all ingredients except marshmallows
and pecans. Cook until a small amount of
the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped
into cold water. Stir to prevent burning.
Add marshmallows
and stir until melted. Remove from heat
and add pecans. Beat until mixture loses
some of its gloss. Place wax paper over
cloth and drop pralines by spoonsful on
the paper. Makes 3 dozen.
French
Market Orange Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons light Karo® syrup
Juice and grated rind of 1 orange
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Few drops orange food coloring (optional)
2 cups chopped pecans
Place sugar,
half-and-half, salt and Karo® syrup
in saucepan and stir constantly until mixture
boils. Add orange juice slowly and continue
cooking until mixture reaches soft ball
stage (240 degrees F on candy thermometer).
Add orange rind and cook until it again
reaches 240 degrees F.
Add butter,
vanilla extract and food coloring. Cool.
Beat until mixture holds its shape. Add
pecans. Drop on wax paper. Store in tin
or plastic container. Makes about 1 1/4
pounds.
Dr.
Pepper Pralines
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup Dr. Pepper®
4 large marshmallows
2 to 3 cups pecan or walnut halves
In heavy
saucepan mix together sugars and Dr. Pepper.
Cook over low heat. stirring constantly
until all sugar is dissolved, then cook
stirring occasionally until soft ball stage
(238 degrees F) is reached. Remove from
heat, add marshmallows and nut meats together.
Beat hard for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture
starts to cream. Drop on wax paper in small
balls, about 1 tablespoon at a time. They
should flatten out around the edges leaving
mound of nut meats in the center.
Mexican
Soft Pralines (Dulces con Nueces)
Pecans are a large crop both in Arizona
and New Mexico.
1 cup brown
sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup pecans, chopped
Butter a
cookie sheet. Place all ingredients in a
small stainless steel pan and bring to a
simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently
to prevent burning. Cook gently until the
mixture thickens enough so that a spoonful
dropped on the buttered sheet holds together,
about 30 to 40 minutes.
Using a large
spoon, drop mounds of the candy on the sheet
and allow to cool. If the candy does not
harden sufficiently, refrigerate it for
2 hours. Makes 8 pralines.
NEW
ORLEANS HALLOWEEN PRALINE SQUARES
20 to 24 graham crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven
to 350°.
Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with
graham crackers. Bring butter and sugar
to rolling boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove
from heat. When bubbling subsides, add chopped
pecans.
New
Orleans, Louisiana Caramel Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons butter
Place 2 cups
sugar and milk in a large saucepan. Cook
slowly, stirring often. At same time, put
the 1 cup sugar in another saucepan on low
heat; stir until melted. Pour slowly into
the milk and sugar that should be ready
to boil; stir while adding. Cook slowly
until a firm ball will form when dropped
into cold water (238 degrees F on a candy
thermometer).
Set off the
heat. Add vanilla extract, pecans and butter.
Beat or stir until this begins to thicken.
Drop by spoonsful on wax paper. They should
set up immediately.
Marie Laveau
II Pralines
1 small box regular butterscotch pudding
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup broken pecans
Mix pudding,
sugar, milk and oil in a saucepan. Bring
to a boil. Boil slowly for 10 minutes to
bring the mixture to the soft-ball stage.
Beat until
mixture slightly thickens. Add pecans. Drop
by spoon onto wax paper. Let cool about
30 minutes.
Piloncillo
Pralines
Piloncillo is Mexican brown sugar which
is sold in small or large cones. If you
cannot find it, you may substitute regular
brown sugar. Canela is ground cinnamon.
1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
8 to 9 ounces piloncillo, softened and chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces, toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground canela (cinnamon)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Grease a
24-inch sheet of wax paper. Set it on several
thickness of newspaper.
Combine all
ingredient except the vanilla extract in
a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly
so that the piloncillo melts and continue
cooking, stirring constantly, until the
mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 238
degrees F.
Add vanilla
extract, remove the pan from the heat, and
continue stirring as the candy cools. When
the mixture becomes creamy and cloudy, and
the pecans remain suspended while stirring,
spoon the mixture onto the wax paper. You
can make pralines of any size. Work quickly,
before the candy hardens in the pan. The
pralines set as they cool.
These are
best the day they are made, but they will
keep for several days if tightly covered.
Use leftover pralines by crumbling them
over ice cream.
You can also
pour the praline mixture into a pan and
cut it like fudge.
Sweet
Potato Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup cooked, mashed yams
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place sugar
and milk in a heavy 2-quart saucepan and
bring to a boil. Add yams. Cook until mixture
reaches 235 degrees F (soft-ball stage).
Remove from heat and add pecans, butter
and vanilla extract. Let cool.
Beat and
pour into a buttered 8-inch square dish.
Allow to completely harden. Cut and serve.
Praline
Bars
24 graham cracker squares
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
PREPARATION:
Heat oven
to 350°. Arrange graham crackers in
single layer in ungreased 15x10x1-inch jelly
roll pan. Heat brown sugar and margarine
to boiling; boil and stir for 1 minute.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Pour over graham crackers, spreading evenly;
sprinkle with pecans. Bake until bubbly,
about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly and
cut into squares.
Microwave
Pralines
"The most fantastic, EASY candy you
can make... sinfully delicious and habit
forming. I have only seen this fail once,
and then the disaster was the most marvelous
gooey pecan praline ice cream topping."
Original recipe yield: 3 dozen.
Prep Time:20 MinutesCook Time:13 MinutesReady
In:35 MinutesServings:18
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped toasted pecans
In a deep, microwave-safe bowl, mix together
brown sugar, whipping cream, and corn syrup.
Microwave on High for 13 minutes.
Mix in butter until well blended. Then stir,
stir, and stir until mixture begins to cool
and get creamy. Stir in chopped nuts. Drop
by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper to cool.
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