Chubby’s White Pralines
(from saymyname’s recipe box)
Source: In 'Pastry Queen Parties' by Rebecca Rather
Categories: Candy
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- kosher salt, a pinch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (preferably Mexican vanilla)
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
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Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast until golden brown and aromatic, 7-9 minutes; set aside.
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In a saucepan set over med-high heat, bring the sugar and milk to a boil; decrease the heat to medium and cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (234° to 240° on a candy thermometer).
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Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter, salt, pecans, and vanilla.
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Beat the mixture for about 5 minutes with a wooden spoon, or until the mixture begins to stiffen.
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Quickly drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper (if you aren’t fast enough, the mixture will become too hard to scoop).
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Wrap individually in waxed paper, or store in an airtight container.
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*Variation-to make even whiter, omit the vanilla extract and drop in a halved vanilla bean with the sugar and milk; remove the bean as soon as the mixture comes to a boil.
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Use the pointed tip of a knife to dig out the vanilla seeds and add them back to the praline mixture.