Pralines
Now, I'm not going to get into an argument whether they are pronounced "praw" lines or "pray"lines, but I will tell you that they are about the most delicious piece of the South that you can put in your mouth. The cream, brown sugar, pecans, and candy-making skill all mixed together is divine. I would love to say that I am a master praline maker but I can't . Oh, I try. Really and truly I do, but my results are less than divine! Let's walk through my recipe and see where I go wrong.
Here are the lucky ingredients:

Tried and True Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens 1981 Edition
Southern Pralines
1/1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light cream
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups pecan halves
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together sugar, brown sugar, and cream. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constatnly. Cook over medium-low heat to 234 degrees (soft-ball stage) about 16-18 minutes, stirring only as necessary to prevent sticking. Remove from heat; add butter and let cool to 150 degrees, do not stir. At 150 degrees, quickly stir in pecans and beat candy for 2 to 3 minutes till candy is just beginning to thicken but is still glossy. Drop candy from a tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Makes about 30 pralines.
Okay, so here I go... I found a heavy saucepan. I put in my sugars and cream.

I'm stirring constantly with my lucky spoon.

I'm boiling over medium-low heat to the soft ball stage. (After standing here 18 mesmerizing minutes watching it boil, I'm about ready to bat it out of here with a "softball" bat.)

Now, for my results..let's see...grainy. I do some research to see why my pralines are grainy. Oh the book says that you shouldn't try to make pralines when it is humid or they may be grainy. HELLO??? I live in the South. It is HUMID here, folks. Okay, maybe one day in January it isn't humid but it is FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember and it is humid.
I try again. This time I apparently let them cool too long in the pan. I now have ONE giant praline stuck in the pan. We all stand around the pan and stab out big pieces with knives. Still tasted good but wouldn't win any blue ribbons for appearance. I make them again and when doing so, figure out the correct pronunciation of pralines. It is "pray"lines because you pray that you might get one batch that will come out okay.
This batch wasn't too bad but still a little tall and not as creamy as I would have liked. And all the pecans didn't get coated.

So, in the words of Rhett...Frankly my dear, I will be buying my pralines from the experts...River Street Sweets in Savannah, Georgia. It must be less humid down there!!

Here are the lucky ingredients:

Tried and True Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens 1981 Edition
Southern Pralines
1/1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light cream
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups pecan halves
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together sugar, brown sugar, and cream. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constatnly. Cook over medium-low heat to 234 degrees (soft-ball stage) about 16-18 minutes, stirring only as necessary to prevent sticking. Remove from heat; add butter and let cool to 150 degrees, do not stir. At 150 degrees, quickly stir in pecans and beat candy for 2 to 3 minutes till candy is just beginning to thicken but is still glossy. Drop candy from a tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Makes about 30 pralines.
Okay, so here I go... I found a heavy saucepan. I put in my sugars and cream.

I'm stirring constantly with my lucky spoon.

I'm boiling over medium-low heat to the soft ball stage. (After standing here 18 mesmerizing minutes watching it boil, I'm about ready to bat it out of here with a "softball" bat.)

Now, for my results..let's see...grainy. I do some research to see why my pralines are grainy. Oh the book says that you shouldn't try to make pralines when it is humid or they may be grainy. HELLO??? I live in the South. It is HUMID here, folks. Okay, maybe one day in January it isn't humid but it is FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember and it is humid.
I try again. This time I apparently let them cool too long in the pan. I now have ONE giant praline stuck in the pan. We all stand around the pan and stab out big pieces with knives. Still tasted good but wouldn't win any blue ribbons for appearance. I make them again and when doing so, figure out the correct pronunciation of pralines. It is "pray"lines because you pray that you might get one batch that will come out okay.
This batch wasn't too bad but still a little tall and not as creamy as I would have liked. And all the pecans didn't get coated.

So, in the words of Rhett...Frankly my dear, I will be buying my pralines from the experts...River Street Sweets in Savannah, Georgia. It must be less humid down there!!






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