Spiced Holiday Pralines Recipes

SPICED HOLIDAY PRALINES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cane syrup, pecans and 1/2 cup water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Remove saucepan from heat and immediately stir in butter, vanilla extract and spices. Allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
• Carefully using a hand-held mixer, or a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip until mixture changes to a lighter color and becomes creamy and just starts to stiffen as it cools (it should still be warm). The pecans will break up a bit.
• Use a tablespoon-size cookie dough scoop to drop mixture onto two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets (12 pralines on each sheet). Use a spatula to flatten each praline. Let cool completely and store in a tin, creating separate layers with wax paper.

SPICED PRALINE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
• Spread the almonds out on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place 1/4 cup/50 g of the sugar in a small saucepan with the water and stir to combine. Cook over high heat for about 4 minutes, until it has turned a light golden brown; do not stir, just gently shake the pan to help the sugar dissolve. Add the almonds and cook for 1 minute, so the nuts are coated and the caramel turns dark, without burning. Pour the mixture onto one of the lined baking sheets and set aside until cool.
• Once cool, break the praline into smaller pieces, place in a food processor and process to form a rough powder. Remove from the machine, place in a shallow bowl and combine with the spices, orange zest and salt. Set aside.
• Spread the remaining sugar out on the second lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 7 minutes, until the sugar is hot. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 275°F/130°C. As soon as the sugar is out of the oven, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place and beat on high speed until they begin to froth up. Carefully add the hot sugar to the egg whites, 1 tbsp at a time, and continue beating for 7-8 minutes until the mixture is completely cold. At this point it should be silky and thick and keep its shape when you lift a little bit from the bowl.
• . Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use an extra-large serving spoon to scoop up some meringue, and use another large spoon to help shape it into a rough ball the size of a large apple. Sprinkle some praline over half the meringue ball, then place on the baking sheet, repeat with the rest of the mixture, spacing the balls as far apart as possible, as they will increase in size.
• Place the meringues in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hours. Check that they are done by lifting them from the baking sheet and gently tapping to make sure the outside is completely firm and the center is only a little soft. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheet to cool.
• Storage
• These will keep for up to 10 days. If you are not hanging them on the tree, wrap them loosely in aluminum foil and keep at room temperature.

SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Beat the egg white with water.
• Stir in the pecans until wet.
• In separate bowl, mix the sugar, salt and spices.
• Sprinkle the spice mixture over the nuts and mix thoroughly.
• Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 300°F 30 minutes.

SPICED HOLIDAY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter 2 large baking sheets.
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium heat.
• Add brown sugar, 1/4 cup water, salt and spices; stir until sugar dissolves.
• Add nuts to sugar mixture and cook until syrup thickly coats nuts, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer nuts to prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until golden, about 5-10 minutes.
• Cool (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature).

SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In a small bowl beat the egg white with the water. Stir in the pecans, mixing until well moistened.
• In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Sprinkle over the moistened nuts. Spread nuts on prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Be careful not to overcook and burn the nuts.

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.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring mixture constantly.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 236 degrees (soft ball stage).
• Remove mixture from heat, and add butter (do not stir).
• Let stand until candy thermometer reaches 150 degrees.
• Stir in pecans and vanilla, using a wooden spoon, and stir constantly until candy begins to thicken.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, working rapidly, onto wax paper.
• Let stand until firm.

HOLIDAY PRALINE DELITE PIE

Steps:

• Heat butter or margarine with brown sugar and nuts in a saucepan until melted. Spread in the bottom of the baked pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 5 minutes. Cool.
• Prepare vanilla pudding mix with milk as directed for a pie; cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Measure 1 cup, cover with waxed paper, and chill thoroughly. Pour remainder into pie shell. Chill.
• Fold 1/3 cup whipped topping into the 1 cup reserved pudding. Spread over nuts in pie shell. Chill. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and chopped pecans.

EASY SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• In a large skillet over low heat, toast pecans in butter for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring often. Drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and spices. Add pecans and toss to coat. Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. , Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

SPICED HOLIDAY NUTS

Steps:

• Line baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil foil. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, curry powder and cayenne pepper; sauté until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Stir in sugar and honey. Add nuts. Stir until honey mixture is amber in color and nuts are well coated, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer nut mixture to prepared baking sheet. Working quickly, separate nuts with spoon. Sprinkle with salt. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)