Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup canned evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups pecans halves
Instructions
- Put sugar, baking soda, salt, and milk (shake the can well before opening) in a heavy saucepan.
- Stir the milk mixture and cook over medium to medium-low heat with a constant stir.
- Cook until the candy darkens and reaches the soft-ball stage, between 235° and 245° F on the candy thermometer.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the butter and vanilla to the pralines.
- Beat by hand with a spoon for a few minutes, then add pecans to beat until it feels a bit firmer.
- Drop pralines onto waxed paper using a tablespoon and let set until they harden and cool completely.
Notes
- Be sure to shake canned milk well before opening.
- Instead of using a candy thermometer, you can test to see if the pralines have reached the soft-ball stage by placing a few drops of the mixture into an ice-cold cup of water. Use your fingers to form the praline mixture into a ball. If it has reached the appropriate stage, it will develop into a ball but will turn flat after it is taken out of the cold water.
- Cold, dry weather will help yield the best results for pralines. If the weather is humid, you may need to cook the pralines a little longer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Sweets, desserts
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Cajun
