These Texas Style Pecan Pralines Will Melt in Your Mouth

Is there any other candy that just screams Texas besides pecan pralines? Maybe the Goodarts’ Texas-shaped peanut patties. But, these easy-to-make pralines are so melt-in-your-mouth that you just might eat half the batch in one sitting.

So what exactly are pralines?

Pralines have a creamy consistency, similar to fudge. They are usually made by combining sugar (often brown), butter, cream or buttermilk, and pecans in a pot over medium-high heat, and stirring constantly until most of the water has evaporated and it has reached a thick texture with a brown color. This is then usually dropped by spoonfuls onto wax paper or a sheet of aluminum foil greased with butter, and left to cool.

What’s their history?

French settlers brought the recipe to Louisiana, where both sugar cane and pecan trees were plentiful. During the 19th century, New Orleans chefs substituted pecans for almonds, added cream to thicken the confection, and thus created what became known throughout the American South as the praline.

Of course, make sure to buy Texas pecans for the best result! Our friends at Pecans.com out of Goldthwaite, Texas, have delicious local pecans already shelled and halved… and, if you’re low on time, go ahead and order their pralines, too!

Recipe by: Rose
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 24

Texas Style Pecan Pralines

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cups salted butter (half a stick)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves (or chopped pecans)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a large cookie sheet (or more) with parchment paper.
2. Place the brown sugar, whipping cream, butter, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove it from the heat. Immediately whisk in the powdered sugar, then gently stir in the pecans.
3. Allow the mixture to thicken and cool slightly — it only takes a minute or two.
4. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the praline mixture onto paper and allow it to cool and set up for at least 30 minutes. (You can speed this up by popping the sheet in the refrigerator.)

Sources:
Wikipedia
rosebakes.com