Cinnamon Pecan Pralines
I’m just not ready, you guys! I’m not ready for Christmas to be over.
I’m totally one of those people who leaves the tree up and decorated until every last pine needle drops to the floor and the skeleton that’s left erupts spontaneously into a curtain of flames. And even after that, I’ll keep watering the tree because I just want Christmas to last forever!
How did I spend Christmas Eve this year? Here’s a little snippet:
With my sisters and my parents and the most delicious Indian food and the cutest little piglet that ever existed snuggling on the couch in her faux fur blanket (she’s not spoiled!).
And if I’m being completely honest, I’m really not ready to give up on all of the cookies… the cakes… the chocolates… I mean, I am sitting in my living room now, there is a neon sign on my front lawn that reads “Deliver Homemade Almond Roca Here” with a flashing arrow pointing to my front door. Apparently no one that drives by can read, though, ’cause my mouth is still waiting.
Oh yeah, and these pralines are freaking awesome, too. But too bad I sent them to all of my friends, family, and neighbors with nary a bite for myself (’tis true). But the awesome thing? These pralines are a breeze to make and truth be told, they’re kinda fun to stir and pour out all over the counter. It makes me feel like Willy Wonka and I get all kinds of excited!
So if I find myself in a pre- New Year’s bind (because we all know that January 1st begins all that healthy eating stuff), I can very quickly whip up a batch of these decadent things. And now, thanks to this recipe, you can too (see what I did there?)! So Merry Betwixt Christmas and New Year’s to you!
Cinnamon Pecan Pralines
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 1/4 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Half and Half
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 1/2 Cups Unsalted Pecans
In a medium saucepan over medium-hgih heat, combine all ingredients and stir constantly. Continue to stir the mixture until it has been bubbling for approximately 10-15 minutes. It will be thicker and in the “soft ball” stage.
To test the “soft ball” stage, fill a glass with cold water. Drizzle a little bit of the mixture into the water. If it holds a soft ball shape and sinks to the bottom, it is ready. If the mixture dissolves when it hits the water, it needs to continue to cook.
Once it has reached the soft ball stage, remove the pan from the heat but continue to stir. The mixture will become a bit thicker and creamier looking. This is when you will use a large plastic spoon or ladle and spoon cookie-sized dollops of the mix onto parchment paper.
Allow the pralines to cool until solid. They’re wonderful served cold, but a rare joy to experience while they’re still warm, so take the opportunity if you can!
If your mixture becomes too thick to pour or you let it cool too long before spooning onto the parchment paper and it begins to solidify in the pan, you can return the pan to the heat and add a splash of half and half to re-liquify the mixture and try again.
Oh dear, sweet pralines. You do it to me every time.
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1¼ Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Half and Half
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1½ Cups Unsalted Pecans
- In a medium saucepan over medium-hgih heat, combine all ingredients and stir constantly. Continue to stir the mixture until it has been bubbling for approximately 10-15 minutes. It will be thicker and in the “soft ball” stage.
- To test the “soft ball” stage, fill a glass with cold water. Drizzle a little bit of the mixture into the water. If it holds a soft ball shape and sinks to the bottom, it is ready. If the mixture dissolves when it hits the water, it needs to continue to cook.
- Once it has reached the soft ball stage, remove the pan from the heat but continue to stir. The mixture will become a bit thicker and creamier looking. This is when you will use a large plastic spoon or ladle and spoon cookie-sized dollops of the mix onto parchment paper.
- Allow the pralines to cool until solid. They’re wonderful served cold, but a rare joy to experience while they’re still warm, so take the opportunity if you can!
These pralines didn’t last long around here! So yummy. Gone in a flash. Great photos too. Thank you for posting them.
Thank you, Gail! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pralines I sent you. They seem to be a bit of a staple dessert in the south (and they really are amazing… gotta love anything with that much butter and sugar!). I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
i also made these for the new year’s party that I went to on Monday. They were gobbled up in the first half-hour! I was surprised by how easy they were to make and I’m thankful that you gave the note of returning them to heat with a little bit of cream if they thicken too quickly. I thought I had ruined them becaue I let them cool too long before spooning them onto the parchment paper. But I added a little bit more half and half and returning them to the stove for a minute, problem solved.
I’m so glad you found success! The very same thing happened to me the first time I tried to make pralines, so I’m definitely glad that I remembered to give that little tip! They are addictive little things, aren’t they?