| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | about 4 dozen pralines |
Ingredients
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- Grated zest of 1 medium orange (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Have 2 small spoons ready for scooping. Bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup and orange zest to a gentle simmer in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk or wooden spoon (do not let the cream mixture boil over). Simmer, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and light brown in color and a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F (soft-ball stage), 20 to 30 minutes (start by stirring occasionally, then switch to stirring constantly when the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan). Stir in the pecans and salt; the temperature will drop at least 5 degrees F to 10 degrees F.
- Continue to simmer, stirring, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan (the thermometer should register 246 degrees F to 247 degrees F). To test for doneness, drop a quarter-size amount onto a prepared baking sheet: The mixture should hold a rounded shape and look dull; if it runs out flat, continue cooking.
- Use the small spoons to spoon about quarter-size mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. Let sit until cool, set and dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the pralines are still too soft to pick up after a few hours, let them sit in a cool, dry place, uncovered, for 1 or 2 days. Once dry, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 48 servings |
| Calories | 131 |
| Total Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 27 mg |
| Sodium | 11 mg |
Reviews
It took 2 hours for the mixture to get to temperature. Once it did, I put the pecans in just like the recipe said. All of the fat was immediately pulled from the pecans and the whole mixture became a greasy mess.
Is this recipe a prank? You got us. It is 2:30 a.m. and we just finished spooning the mixture on to the parchment paper – lined baking sheet. The problem being, that we started prepping at 12:a.m. Yep, 2 1/2 hours to make 39 pralines. We are @ sea level in Florida, so we can’t use the altitude theory for an excuse. It definitely made for a comical evening. My husband and I laughed until we cried. What is your definition of med-low?
This might be a stretch but, is there a possibility that an ingredient was omitted or a step was missed?
It is now 2:45 a.m. and they are not hardening. We really followed the directions.
This might be a stretch but, is there a possibility that an ingredient was omitted or a step was missed?
It is now 2:45 a.m. and they are not hardening. We really followed the directions.
I made these over the weekend for a Super Bowl party. This was my first time making candy, and I live at an altitude of over a mile above sea level. It took me two and a half hours to get the cream/sugar mixture to soft ball stage–would have been helpful if the recipe contained a note to let high elevation folks know that it could take significantly longer than 20-30 minutes to get the candy to the right stage. I was pleased with how these turned out but I can’t justify spending that much time to make them again.
Taste was fantastic! Texture was more soft chewy caramel- like… I’ll definitely try it again :-
I just made these pralines today and they came out absolutely perfect! It was easier than I thought it would be. It takes about 35 minutes for the cream and sugar to start getting brown. And YOU NEED a candy thermometer for sure. These taste so good I will be making them over and over!!
I had used several FN recipes successfully but this one I don’t get at all. I’ve tried it twice and failed. Cream mixture gets thinner not ticker as I warm it up and never gets brown or sticky no matter how precisely I follow the recipe. Is something missing here or am I doing it wrong? Pralines sure look yummy on the picture…