Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed, light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cup pecan halves
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Directions
NOTE: To judge doneness, use one or more of the following guides; 1.
Candy thermometer will read 240F 2. When done, the batter will begin
forming distinct threads on the sides or bottom of the pan. 3. Near
the end of the cooking time, make a test praline every few seconds.
The early-test pralines will be somewhat runny, very shiny and
somewhat translucent. The ideal praline will have progressed past
that stage--it will not be runny and will be less shiny; when cooled
it will be opaque, lusteriess and crumbly instead of chewy. 4. Near
the end of the cooking time, drizzle spoonfuls of the mixture across
the surface of the mixture. When ready, the mixture will form a neat
thread across the surface.
Assemble all ingredients and utensils before starting to cook. You
will need a large heavy bottomed aluminum pot or skillet with deep
sides, a long handled metal whisk or spoon, 2 large spoons (or an ice
cream scoop with a manual release) and a lightly buttered cookie
sheet. Be careful not to get any of the mixture on you skin, as it
sticks and can cause serious burns. Melt the butter in the pot over
high heat. As soon as it's melted, add the sugars and cream. Cook 1
minute, whisking constantly.
Add the milk and chopped pecans, cook 4 minutes more, whisking
constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and whisking 5
minutes. Add the pecan halves and vanilla and continue whisking and
cooking until done, about 15 to 20 minutes longer (see NOTE above on
tests for doneness). If mixture starts to smoke toward end of
cooking, lower the heat.
Remove pan from heat. Quickly and carefully drop the batter onto
the cookie sheet by heaping spoonfuls, using the second spoon to
scoop the batter off the first (or use ice cream scoop). Each praline
should form a 2-inch patty about 1/2 inch thick. Cool and store in
an airtight container, or wrap each praline in plastic wrap or foil.
LAGNIAPPE: To clean the pot and utensils, boil water in the pot with
the utensils in it. This will melt the batter off. From Paul
Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen
Servings: 36 servings
Pecan Pralines - Prudhomme Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Candy; Nut; Pecan
The History of Recipes
Academics have proved the existence of recipes back into distant history, certainly as far back into recorded history as the early Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. In practice though, these, old records were just simple hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe discovered, according to academics is a series of clay tablets in Sumerian which describe the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel wonderful. As we move into The time of the roman empire 25BC a man called Apicius compiled some documents detailing recipes prepared by his fellow Romans. In his publication, he tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into appetizers, main meal and afters, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius recounts how the cooks of his times made use of many aromatic flavors, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example bay, mint and dill. As our culinary historical trip moves to more modern times we have a couple of cookery books dating from the fourteenth century : a cookery book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these two books are unconnected to the curry that appears on menues today, but rather descriptions of the types of meals prepared by the cooks of the rich and powerful. In the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought us a variety of foods, spices and herbs from the holy lands, including spices like basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas led to an eruption in manuscripts on food, some of which still exist in private collections. Over the next few centuries, the wealthy families of Europe competed to serve the most exotic banquets, and consequentially the best chefs and their collection of recipes were much in demand. However, it was during the 19th century that formal cookery and recipe publications became really popular. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated the best years of their lives to collating, trying out, and recording recipes common in their social group. By the arrival of the twentieth century, recipe books were highly popular due to better eduction, people having increased free time and having more disposable income. The introduction of television brought us TV cooks and the accompanying recipe books. And that brings us to the present day and the internet revolution, allowing everyone to search through massive numbers of recipes like the ones you can find on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Pecan Pralines Prudhomme recipe.
