Phil Robertson Praline Recipes

PRALINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.

PECAN PRALINES

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a 3-quart saucepan, mix together sugar and baking soda. Add cream and place over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until golden brown and mixture reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes. Add butter and pecans and mix together until butter has melted and mixture is well combined, about 1 minute. Using a tablespoon, drop mixture onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart; let cool completely.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat surface, preferably granite or wood.
• Put all the ingredients in a large pot and attach a candy thermometer to the side. You need to be sure the thermometer goes deep into the mixture. Turn the heat to medium high.
• Fill a bowl that's larger than the pot halfway with ice water and set it aside.
• Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. When everything has melted together, start checking the temperature. When the thermometer reaches exactly 236 degrees F, remove the pot from the heat and stick it in the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Stir for 45 seconds while the pot is in the ice bath to evenly cool the entire mixture.
• With a large spoon, start dropping puddles of the mixture onto the parchment. Make sure you're getting some pecans in every spoonful. If you feel like it, sprinkle just a bit of salt on top. Let them cool all the way. If you're in a humid environment, they might stay sticky, but put them in front of a fan and they should get dry.
• Store them carefully in a tin, and don't stack them very high-three layers max, separated by wax paper.
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PRALINE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook over moderatly high heat for five minutes.
• Stir in the almonds and continue cooking, stirring almost constantly with a wire whisk. The syrup will become granular for a brief time. Continue cooking for a total of about five minutes or until the syrup becomes a dark caramel color.
• Meanwhile, brush a cold flat surface (preferably marble or glass, not wood) with oil and wipe with a paper towel to leave a light film of oil. Pour the caramelized almonds onto the surface. Let stand until thoroughly cold. The praline may be cracked and eaten at this point. Or it may be pulverized.
• Break up the caramelized almonds into pieces. Pulverize the pieces. This may be done two ways, using a rolling pin (which is more traditional) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, a little oil might come out of the almonds.