Happy National Pralines Day. Not sure who came up with this national holiday but it's a sweet one.
Here's a recipe for Dark Sugar Pralines, darker than most because of the brown sugar, but creamy as well. It's from "Cooking in Cajun Country," a cookbook-travelogue by my twin Chere Dastugue Coen and "Cajun" Carl Breaux of Lafayette, Louisiana. It's out of print now, but still available as an ebook.
Note: When making pralines, remember that humidity will affect the consistency. Humid Louisiana summers, for instance, can sometimes cause gooey pralines that don’t harden well. I learned this from experience.
Dark Sugar Pralines
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk or whipping cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cup pecans
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix brown sugar, evaporated milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once a boil has been reached, cook until a candy thermometer reads 234 degrees, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add butter but do not stir. Cool until candy thermometer reads 150 degrees, about 35 minutes. Stir in pecans and vanilla with wooden spoon until candy thickens and butter and vanilla are well absorbed, but is still glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Quickly drop on to wax paper in patties. Allow to cool. Makes about 30 medium pralines.