Johns Orange Praline Pecans Food

PECAN PRALINES

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a heavy saucepan. Over medium heat stir mixture until it comes to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low and continue to stir. Spoon mixture up on sides of pan to melt any sugar that hasn't melted.
• Cook until mixture reaches 238 to 241 degrees F on a candy thermometer or soft ball stage. Stir in the pecans. Remove from heat. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes creamy and cloudy. Drop onto parchment paper, buttered pan or buttered marble slab, using a spoon or ice cream scoop. Let cool.
• A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

ORANGE-SUGARED PECANS

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water and orange juice concentrate. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in pecans and orange zest. , Beat until mixture thickens and loses its gloss, about 2 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper to set. Store in an airtight container.

ORANGE PRALINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread pecans on baking sheet and lightly toast for about 7-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and set aside.
• In large saucepan combine sugar, half and half, salt, butter and corn syrup.
• Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches 235 degrees on candy thermometer.
• Add orange juice and zest and cook until it again reaches 235 degrees.
• Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir for 1 minute.
• Add pecans and stir briefly.
• Working rather quickly drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
• Store in covered container.

JOHN'S ORANGE PRALINE PECANS

Steps:

• Line 12 muffin cups with square sheets of waxed paper.
• Heat white sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and frozen orange juice concentrate together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat; cook and stir until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir vanilla extract into the sugar mixture. Fold pecan pieces through the mixture. Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches a temperature of 235 degrees F (113 degrees C), 5 to 10 minutes; remove from heat immediately.
• Stir candy mixture until it begins to turn opaque and stiff but can still be spooned easily; spoon into prepared muffin cups.
• Cool pralines completely before serving.

MISS BROWN'S PRALINE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Arrange the chopped pecans on half of the prepared baking sheet and place the pecan halves on the other half. Bake the pecans until toasted, about 10 minutes. When done, set aside to cool, keeping the chopped pecans and pecan halves separate.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. Add 1 egg at a time, beating to combine, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture in 2 batches, beating well to combine. Fold in the toasted chopped pecans.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. With an ice-cream scoop, scoop 1 1/2-tablespoon rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets (making sure you leave at least 1 inch of space between each). Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Chilling the dough helps prevent it from spreading during baking.
• After your dough chills for at least an hour, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then bake the cookies until slightly golden brown around the edges, 11 to 12 minutes (12 to 13 minutes for crispier cookies). Add a pecan half to the middle of each cookie and cool to room temperature.
• For the praline sauce: While the cookies are cooling, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter and milk to a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, whisking continuously. Boil and whisk for 3 minutes more, or until the sauce is thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Let cool for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Drizzle the sauce over the cookies before serving. The cookies and any leftover praline sauce will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days stored separately. Spoon leftover sauce over ice cream or stir into hot coffee.

PRALINE PECANS AND CRANBERRY MIX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 F and grease a 13x9" baking pan, set aside. Cover large baking sheet with heavy duty foil, set aside.
• Spread pecans in single layer on prepared baking pan.
• Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in small microwavable bowl and microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir.
• Microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute or until boiling rapidly.
• Stir in vanilla and baking soda until well blended.
• Drizzle mixture evenly over pecan halves and stir until evenly coated.
• Bake 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes with a wooden spoon.
• IMMEDIATELY transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet, spreading pecans evenly over foil with lightly greased spatula.
• Cool completely. Break apart with wooden spoon.
• Combine pecans with cranberries in large bowl.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also divide between cute cellophane gift bags and twist tie to seal.