Louisiana Pecan Pralines: Sweet and Creamy Treats

Living in Louisiana, there's no shortages of pecan trees so of course, there are an abundance of recipes that include pecans. One of the most popular is Pecan Pralines, a classic Southern candy treat. Pralines are a sweet and creamy treat made with nuts that has a fudge-like texture. While we make them year-round, they are extremely popular during the holidays.

Pecan pralinesPhoto byriverstreetsweets.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
• 2 ¼ cups of pecans, halved
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine both sugars, butter and whipping cream into a large saucepan on medium heat.
• Bring the mixture to 240 degrees F, stir with a wooden spoon then let it cook for about 5 minutes until the sugars dissolve.
• After a few minutes, stir in the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the pecan halves.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir the candy mixture until it thickens (this will happen fast)
• Spoon a drop of the mix onto the parchment paper, spacing each drop about an inch apart.
• Let the pralines cool completely then store them in an airtight container.
• Enjoy!!