Defining questions

The defining question of my culinary life is about dessert. The usual question is chocolate v. fruit. If you were offered a chocolate dessert or a fruit-based dessert, which would you choose? I choose neither. My weakness is for all things caramel. Not just chewy, soft caramels but anything involving caramelized sugar, preferably combined with butter.

I started making pralines before Christmas when I was still pregnant with the Bean and I’ve made them nearly every year since. This recipe is great as candy, but also works broken up and added to homemade ice cream or oatmeal cookies. I use the recipe from John Foles's "The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine" with minor changes. He's my go-to guy for Cajun food. 

People will mistake these for cookies. I usually provide a briefing before giving these out. It’s best if you don’t eat more than one a day, because 2 pralines is definitely over the RDA for sugar and fat. 

On another note, we seemed to have pinned down the temperature to reach the soft-ball stage here. So this endeavor was educational as well as yummy. 

Pralines

Ingredients:

1 ½ c granulated sugar

¾ c light brown sugar

½ c milk (+1 Tbsp)

1 tsp vanilla

¾ stick butter

1 ½ c pecans

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except pecans in a 2qt saucepan. (Actually, you can add the pecans now too, but I find it easier to stir without and adding room temperature pecans at the end helps it cool faster.) Heat to 234-240F (230F). Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Stir until thickened (you’ll be tempted to start scooping right away but trust me, you need to let the sugar begin to crystalize before you scoop. Feel free to try it and see.) Drop by spoonfuls onto buttered wax paper or parchment paper. Allow to harden. Will keep a couple of weeks in an air-tight container at room temperature.