New Orleans Style Pralines Food

NEW ORLEANS PRALINES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, use a silicone mat on top of the baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, and evaporated milk.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves. Once all is well mixed, insert a candy thermometer . Cook the candy, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer reads 240 F.
• Once the proper temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat and drop the cubes of butter on top, without stirring. Allow the sugar mixture to sit for 1 minute.
• Add the vanilla extract and pecans.
• Begin to stir smoothly and constantly with a wooden spoon; the candy will begin to thicken and appear lighter in color. Continue to stir until the candy starts to hold its shape. It should still be easy to stir, but don't overdo it, as pralines quickly go from fluid to rock-solid.
• Once the confection has a lighter opaque-brown color and is holding its shape, work quicky and drop small spoonfuls of the candy onto the prepared baking sheet. Because the pralines will start to set in the saucepan, you need to spoon out the candy as fast as you safely can. If the candy stiffens before you're done scooping, add a spoonful of boiling hot water and stir until it loosens, then continue scooping until you have formed all the pralines.
• Allow the candy to fully set at room temperature; it should take about 30 minutes for the pralines to harden. Store the pralines in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy.

NEW ORLEANS BACON PRALINES

Steps:

• Special equipment: candy thermometer
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 1 rimmed sheet pan with heavy foil and another with parchment paper.
• Place a baking rack over the foil-lined sheet pan and arrange the bacon slices across the rack next to each other, but not overlapping. Bake until crispy, 15 to 18 minutes. When cool enough to handle, finely chop and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons brown sugar, about 1 minute. Add the pecans and combine until the pecans are coated. Pour out onto another unlined sheet pan and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Place the remaining 2 cups brown sugar into a 3-quart heavy saucepan, being careful to not get sugar on the sides of the pan. Add the cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and cook over very low heat (do not let simmer), stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until the sugar is dissolved, 10 to 15 minutes. Wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Clamp on a candy thermometer to the saucepan and boil the syrup over moderately-high heat until it registers 236 degrees F.
• Remove the pan from the heat, leaving the thermometer in place, and let cool until the syrup registers 220 degrees F, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the bacon and pecans. Working quickly, drop 1 tablespoon of pralines onto the prepared parchment-lined sheet pan. If the mixture starts to harden, place back on the stove over moderately-low heat and let it melt. Let the pralines sit until they harden, about 45 minutes.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.

NEW ORLEANS STYLE PRALINES

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a large pot.
• Heat, while stirring constantly, until mixture reaches the "soft ball" stage (230-240°F).
• Remove from heat and continue to stir until mixture becomes cloudy and creamy in appearance and the pecans are suspended in the mixture.
• On parchment paper, drop desired amount.
• Let cool, then enjoy!

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE PRALINES

Steps:

• Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper (important to have these ready because you'll have to work fast when they're done).
• In a large saucepan, simmer cream, sugar, corn syrup and orange zest slowly over low heat, until reduced (watch carefully for boil over).
• Stir continuously as soon as the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan(the mixture will become thicker and turn light brown as is reduces and the sugar carmelizes).
• Stir in pecans when the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (240 degrees), and continue to stir until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Test by dropping a quarter size amount onto the lined baking sheet, and if it holds a nice rounded top (instead of running out flat), and if it is dull looking (rather than oily/shiny)it is ready (approximately 248 degrees).
• Use two dessert spoons to spoon out the pralines onto the baking sheets (one to dip, and one to scrape off) - they're hot, be careful!
• Depending on the humidity, temperature, and luck - they may be ready in about 30 minutes, but don't worry - it could take up to a day or two.
• Store in an airtight container up to a week.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE MAPLE-BACON PRALINES

Steps:

• Cook bacon in skillet on medium heat 12 min. or until crisp, stirring frequently; drain on paper towels.
• Meanwhile, cook next 5 ingredients in large saucepan on medium heat 15 min. or until temperature reaches 239ºF (soft-ball stage) on candy thermometer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Stir in bacon, nuts and cinnamon. Immediately pour onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray; refrigerate 10 min. or until firm. Break into bite-size pieces.