Classic Southern Pecan Pralines

Prep:5minCook:30min

These melt in your mouth candies are absolutely DANGEROUS. I recommend using a thermometer for the most accurate results and to spare wasted ingredients! I also recommend having a glass of cold water ready to test for candy stage. We are aiming for the Soft Ball stage for theseg candies to properly set [234°F - 240°F at sea level.] If they don't reach the proper temperature they will be too soft & not set. I recommend adjusting for temperature if you are 3000ft or more above sea level as the higher you are the less you need your thermometer to reach! I do not recommend making these on a humid day! Tip - If your candies did not set for whatever reason I recommend remelting and slowly bring to temp. [it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to half an hour for them to harden sufficiently and be handled without it bending or flexing at all.] If they are still slightly soft then reheat them slowly to temp and adding about a 5-10°F variance from the first time. P.S. there are so many variables to candy making. It's not always easy. It's not for the weak. There will be frustration. There will be trial & error. I recommend starting with a small batch if you are not experienced with candy.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 05:35:23 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories188.9 kcal (9%)

Total Fat10.1 g (14%)

Carbs25.4 g (10%)

Sugars24.3 g (27%)

Protein1.2 g (2%)

Sodium34.1 mg (2%)

Fiber0.8 g (3%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

24 servings

1 ½ cupgranulated sugar

1 ½ cuplight brown sugar

¼ tspsalt

1 cuphalf and half

can substitute for evaporated milk

6 Tbspunsalted butter

1 teaspoonvanilla extract

2 cupspecan halves

Instructions

Step 1

1 ☆ Prepare baking sheet(s) with lined parchment paper. Also prepare as many ingredients as you can ahead of time. Candy making can feel slow...until it doesn't! You have to be ready to be quick.

Thermometer

I recommend having glass of water on hand in addition to to a thermometer to check for soft ball stage as sometimes thermometers may not be accurate.

Step 2

2 ☆ Mix both sugars, salt, butter, half & half [or evaporated milk] over medium heat. Stir until the sugars dissolves & mixture comes to a boil. Add the thermometer.

There is no need stir once candy reaches a boil. It can cause the sugar to crystallize. We do not want this as it makes a more gritty texture.

Step 3

3 ☆ Once the candy reaches soft ball stage [234-240°F] on the thermometer, remove from heat. I recommend testing in water as well to make sure it will set properly.

To test for soft ball stage with water: Spoon a bit of the mixture and drop it into a glass of cold water. Let it sit for a moment to cool then grab it to get the check the consistency. It should be soft but moldable and should be easy to roll between your fingers. We do not want to overheat our sugar as it may change the texture entirely! If it is too mushy or dissolves in the water then put it back on the heat immediately and reheat to a slightly hotter temperature! If it is hard to mold then unfortunately you may have made a different kind of candy concoction!

Step 4

4 ☆ Once the candy has cooled slightly, mix in the pecans & vanilla. Stir until it begins to thicken and starts to lose its gloss. The moment this happens it is important to move quickly! Drop spooned portions on the lined baking sheets.

Step 5

5 ☆ The candies should already be setting by the time the last portion gets spooned out if the process is done correctly! Give them proper time to cool. Which fortunately should not take long before you can enjoy the first one!