Today, we’re sharing a simple and delicious Pecan Pralines recipe. These sweet treats are perfect for any occasion or just when you’re in the mood for something sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 1/3 c. evaporated milk
- 1/2 stick butter or margarine, softened
- 1 1/2 c. pecans
- 1 1/2 c. coconut
Candy Making Steps
- Combine sugars and evaporated milk in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat. Stir in butter, pecans and coconut. Cook until candy reaches soft ball stage. (Mixture will form a soft ball when dropped in a cup of cold water.)
- Cool 2 minutes. Beat until thick, but glossy.
- Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper. Cool thoroughly.
Calorie: 415
Total cooking time:30 minutes
Difficulty level: Easy
Welcome to the Sugary Pecan Praline Parade!
Hello, fellow food lovers, I have a delicious tale to share. It’s about the time I decided to crack open my culinary skills (and a few pecan shells) to make Pecan Pralines. It wasn’t just a cooking session, it was a rendezvous with sugar, brown sugar, milk, butter, pecans, and coconut. It was like a food symphony!
The Sweet Beginning
The first step was to combine the 1 c. sugar and 1 c. packed brown sugar in a heavy saucepan. Now, if you’re thinking, “That’s a lot of sugar,” well, you’re absolutely right! But hey, I wasn’t making a salad; it was a sweet treat, after all. As I stirred the sugars and 1/3 c. evaporated milk over medium heat, I felt like a sugar sorcerer, concocting a magical potion.
Butter, Pecans, and Coconut Walk Into a Pan
As the sugars and milk happily simmered, it was time to stir in 1/2 stick of softened butter, 1 1/2 c. pecans, and 1 1/2 c. coconut. Picture this: the butter melting and marrying the sugars, the pecans doing a backstroke in the sweet syrup, and the coconut just soaking up all the flavor. It was like watching a delicious rom-com in a saucepan.
The Soft Ball Stage: A Candy Thermometer’s Oscar Moment
Next, I had to cook the mixture until it reached the soft ball stage. If you’re wondering, no, it has nothing to do with sports. In candy terminology, it’s the point when a bit of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into a cup of cold water. Let’s just say it’s the candy thermometer’s Oscar moment, when it gets to decide the fate of your candy.
The Cool Down and the Arm Workout
After the mixture hit the soft ball stage, it was time to let it cool for 2 minutes. This was like the calm before the storm, the storm being the arm workout that was about to follow. Then came the beating part. I had to beat the mixture until it was thick, but glossy. Yes, it was an intense arm workout, no dumbbells required!
The Final Act: Dropping the Praline
Finally, it was time to drop the praline mixture by the tablespoon onto wax paper. And yes, “dropping” is a professional culinary term here, not a clumsy accident. As I watched the pralines cool and harden, I realized that making Pecan Pralines was not just about following a recipe. It was a sweet journey of patience, perseverance, and arm power, resulting in a delicious reward!
The Aftermath: Sugary Satisfaction
As I bit into the firm yet creamy praline, the flavors of sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter, pecans, and coconut danced on my taste buds. It was a sugary symphony that filled my heart (and stomach) with joy. In the end, I was left with a pile of dirty dishes, a very happy palate, and a great story to share with all of you.
So, that’s my Pecan Praline saga. It was a delightful, mouth-watering escapade that I recommend to anyone in need of a sweet adventure. Remember, the journey to the perfect Pecan Praline may be paved with sticky steps, but the destination is pure deliciousness!
