Buttermilk Pecan Pralines
Submitted by zippette
Buttermilk pecan pralines cooked to soft ball stage for a creamy, melt-on-your-tongue candy loaded with toasted pecan halves. The buttermilk and baking soda create a caramel flavor that plain sugar pralines can’t touch.
YIELD
40 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsIf you’ve ever walked through the French Quarter and followed that sweet, toasty smell into a candy shop, you know exactly what these taste like. These pralines get their distinctive tang from buttermilk, which reacts with the baking soda to create a deeper, more complex caramel than you’d get with cream or milk alone.
Getting the temperature right is everything with candy. You’re cooking to soft ball stage (238°F / 114°C), and that window is narrow. A candy thermometer takes the guesswork out. The mixture should turn a warm caramel color as it reaches temperature.
Once you pull it off the heat and beat in the butter and pecans, work quickly. The pralines need to be spooned onto waxed paper before the mixture sets up in the pan. If it hardens too fast, just put it back on the heat with a little water and stir until smooth again.
Chef Tips
- Use a large saucepan (the recipe calls for 5-6 quart). The buttermilk and baking soda foam up significantly when heated.
- A candy thermometer is a must for hitting soft ball stage consistently.
- Beat the mixture just until it starts to lose its gloss and thickens. Overbeating makes the pralines grainy.
- Work on a cool, dry day if possible. Humidity is the enemy of candy making.
Variations
- The recipe includes a built-in variation: reduce the sugar, skip the corn syrup, increase the butter, and add vanilla for a richer, more buttery praline.
- Swap pecans for walnuts or add a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each praline before they set.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan, (5 or 6 quart size) combine sugar, baking soda, salt, buttermilk and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium-low, continue cooking until mixture becomes caramel-colored and reaches soft ball stage (238F).
Remove from heat, add butter and pecan halves. Beat until thick enough to drop from a spoon onto waxed paper.
If mixture becomes too hard, return to heat and add small amount of water.
Stir until smooth. Drop by the spoonfull on to waxed paper.
Yield: 44 to 48 Pralines.
Variation:
Reduce sugar to 2 cups.
Omit corn syrup. Increase butter to ¾ cup, add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Include butter in cooking stage. Add vanilla with pecans.
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