Thread: Pralines

In article <jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]>,
"Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote:

> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I have
> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.

> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
> remembered.
>
> So... How should they be?

Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
it, they weren't caramel.

leo

"Leonard Blaisdell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> In article <jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]>,
> "Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>> have
>> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>
>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>> remembered.
>>
>> So... How should they be?
>
> Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
> caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
> praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
> pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
> it, they weren't caramel.

Stiff! That's the word I was searching for. These were not stiff.

Leonard Blaisdell <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]>,
> "Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I have
>> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>
>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>> remembered.
>>
>> So... How should they be?
>
>Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
>caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
>praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
>pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
>it, they weren't caramel.
>

C'mon y'all from south of the Mason-Dixon. I'm a NYer. I've
made them a couple times and thought I'd failed. They have come out
as a gooey cookie that is *almost* grainy caramel. It can still be
broken, but it bends quite a bit before it comes apart.

I tried 2 recipes, then figured I must be leaving out a secret step
that only southerns know.

Then my daughter brought me home a bourbon/bacon/some-hot-thing
praline from New Orleans. The texture was exactly what I'd been
coming up with and had caused my disappointment.

Is that what they are *supposed* to be?

Jim

"Jim Elbrecht" <> wrote in message...
> Leonard Blaisdell <> wrote:
>
>>In article <>,
>> "Julie Bove" <> wrote:
>>
>>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>>> have
>>> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>>
>>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the
>>> texture
>>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>>> remembered.
>>>
>>> So... How should they be?
>>
>>Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
>>caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
>>praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
>>pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
>>it, they weren't caramel.
>>
>
> C'mon y'all from south of the Mason-Dixon. I'm a NYer. I've
> made them a couple times and thought I'd failed. They have come out
> as a gooey cookie that is *almost* grainy caramel. It can still be
> broken, but it bends quite a bit before it comes apart.
>
> I tried 2 recipes, then figured I must be leaving out a secret step
> that only southerns know.
>
> Then my daughter brought me home a bourbon/bacon/some-hot-thing
> praline from New Orleans. The texture was exactly what I'd been
> coming up with and had caused my disappointment.
>
> Is that what they are *supposed* to be?
>
> Jim

I am a praline authority. Because I say so and because friends, foes and
strangers say so. The recipes have been around at least 250 years - more or
less in France and then New Orleans.
First, the pronunciation is praw-leen and I was going to suggest saying
'praw' as in 'craw'fish but folks don't get that right either. The origin
is French; neither Mexico nor China can persuade me otherwise.
Saying the name is much like puh-cahn or pee-can. Nobody here worries
much about that.
As with fudge and divinity, the weather, the cook and the ingredients
vary. Lots.
Putting bacon in a praline is absurd but I suppose Elvis would have
liked it. Polly

On Sat, 3 Dec 2011 23:56:25 -0800, "Julie Bove"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I have
>only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>
>Second... What should they taste like, look like, and the texture?
>
>I ask because I bought one today at Hobby Lobby and I don't think it was
>right.
>
>They are not common in this area.
>
>We got them all the time when I lived in Wichita.
>
>Then when we moved here to WA, we would get them at this one Mexican
>restaurant. They were just like I remembered. Round, kind of flat like a
>cookie and loaded with pecan nut halves. The taste was rich and of brown
>sugar and it had sort of a gritty/sugary feel in the mouth. Not exactly
>crisp but hard to describe. Certainly not soft or gooey.
>
>I do remember buying one in a Mexican grocery here a few years back and it
>wasn't like I remembered it but now I can't remember why.
>
>The one I bought today seemed just weird to me. I only had one bite. My
>parents ate the rest and they said it was just fine and what it was supposed
>to taste like. But I think they were wrong.
>
>First this was made with a mix of pecans and walnuts and it said there could
>be peanuts in it. The nuts were chopped. Not finely chopped but pretty
>small pieces. And not a lot of nuts.
>
>The shape was a really thick, chunky oval. Much thicker than I think it
>should be.
>
>The texture was soft and creamy. The nuts were not crisp at all and there
>was no brown sugar taste or mouthfeel. My parents said it tasted rich to
>them but it didn't to me. Not at all. Just sweet. Kind of sickly sweet.
>The texture was just creamy. Sort of like a really thick cake icing. And I
>don't think that's right.
>
>I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
>should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>remembered.
>
>So... How should they be?




To page up or down, click on arrows.

praline
[PRAH-leen, prah-LEEN, PRAY-leen]
1. A brittle confection made of almonds and CARAMELIZED sugar. It may
be eaten as candy, ground and used as a filling or dessert ingredient,
or sprinkled atop desserts as a garnish. 2. A special patty-shaped
candy from Louisiana made with pecans and brown sugar.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

ok recipe you prefer please, i am not sure if early demensia or being
underwhelmed when eating them has caused me to hhave no clear memory of
eating them, but i know i must have, Lee
"Polly Esther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> "Jim Elbrecht" <> wrote in message...
>> Leonard Blaisdell <> wrote:
>>
>>>In article <>,
>>> "Julie Bove" <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>>>> have
>>>> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>>>
>>>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the
>>>> texture
>>>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>>>> remembered.
>>>>
>>>> So... How should they be?
>>>
>>>Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
>>>caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
>>>praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
>>>pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
>>>it, they weren't caramel.
>>>
>>
>> C'mon y'all from south of the Mason-Dixon. I'm a NYer. I've
>> made them a couple times and thought I'd failed. They have come out
>> as a gooey cookie that is *almost* grainy caramel. It can still be
>> broken, but it bends quite a bit before it comes apart.
>>
>> I tried 2 recipes, then figured I must be leaving out a secret step
>> that only southerns know.
>>
>> Then my daughter brought me home a bourbon/bacon/some-hot-thing
>> praline from New Orleans. The texture was exactly what I'd been
>> coming up with and had caused my disappointment.
>>
>> Is that what they are *supposed* to be?
>>
>> Jim
>
> I am a praline authority. Because I say so and because friends, foes and
> strangers say so. The recipes have been around at least 250 years - more
> or less in France and then New Orleans.
> First, the pronunciation is praw-leen and I was going to suggest saying
> 'praw' as in 'craw'fish but folks don't get that right either. The origin
> is French; neither Mexico nor China can persuade me otherwise.
> Saying the name is much like puh-cahn or pee-can. Nobody here worries
> much about that.
> As with fudge and divinity, the weather, the cook and the ingredients
> vary. Lots.
> Putting bacon in a praline is absurd but I suppose Elvis would have
> liked it. Polly

On Sun, 4 Dec 2011 00:33:46 -0800, "Julie Bove"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Leonard Blaisdell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]..
>> In article <jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]>,
>> "Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>>> have
>>> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>>
>>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
>>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>>> remembered.
>>>
>>> So... How should they be?
>>
>> Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
>> caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
>> praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
>> pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
>> it, they weren't caramel.
>
>Stiff! That's the word I was searching for. These were not stiff.

Why didn't you say so... I have the perfect praline for you.

On Dec 4, 12:08*pm, "Storrmmee" <rgr...@consolidated.net> wrote:
> ok recipe you prefer please, i am not sure if early demensia or being
> underwhelmed when eating them has caused me to hhave no clear memory of
> eating them, but i know i must have, Lee"Polly Esther" <Polly...@cableone..net> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]..
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Jim Elbrecht" <> wrote in message...
> >> Leonard Blaisdell <> wrote:
>
> >>>In article <>,
> >>> "Julie Bove" <> wrote:
>
> >>>> First... *How do you pronounce them? *I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
> >>>> have
> >>>> only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>
> >>>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the
> >>>> texture
> >>>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
> >>>> remembered.
>
> >>>> So... *How should they be?
>
> >>>Southerners should answer this. To me "prayleens" are pecans in a stiff
> >>>caramel coating. I'm from Nevada and couldn't discern a real southern
> >>>praline with a gun to my head. I remember when my parents got sugary
> >>>pecan lumps for Christmas that were called pralines. Come to think of
> >>>it, they weren't caramel.
>
> >> C'mon y'all from south of the Mason-Dixon. * * I'm a NYer. * *I've
> >> made them a couple times and thought I'd failed. * They have come out
> >> as a gooey cookie that is *almost* grainy caramel. * * It can still be
> >> broken, but it bends quite a bit before it comes apart.
>
> >> I tried 2 recipes, then figured I must be leaving out a secret step
> >> that only southerns know.
>
> >> Then my daughter brought me home a bourbon/bacon/some-hot-thing
> >> praline from New Orleans. * *The texture was exactly what I'd been
> >> coming up with and had caused my disappointment.
>
> >> Is that what they are *supposed* to be?
>
> >> Jim
>
> > I am a praline authority. *Because I say so and because friends, foesand
> > strangers say so. *The recipes have been around at least 250 years - more
> > or less in France and then New Orleans.
> > * *First, the pronunciation is praw-leen and I was going to suggestsaying
> > 'praw' as in 'craw'fish but folks don't get that right either. *The origin
> > is French; neither Mexico nor China can persuade me otherwise.
> > * *Saying the name is much like puh-cahn or pee-can. *Nobody hereworries
> > much about that.
> > * *As with fudge and divinity, the weather, the cook and the ingredients
> > vary. *Lots.
> > * *Putting bacon in a praline is absurd but I suppose Elvis would have
> > liked it. *Polly- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Useless ****.

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>
> C'mon y'all from south of the Mason-Dixon. I'm a NYer. I've
> made them a couple times and thought I'd failed. They have come out
> as a gooey cookie that is *almost* grainy caramel. It can still be
> broken, but it bends quite a bit before it comes apart.
>


That sounds right. Add some pecan halves and large pieces and it should
be good. Here's a recipe I saved a while back that looks right, but I
haven't made it yet. Notice it's made with water instead of milk and
has no corn syrup:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josephine's Pralines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One day we went out to visit a cemetary in New Orleans called The St.
Louis Cemetary. All the folks in the St. Louis cemetary are buried above
ground in stone crypts because of the water table in New Orleans being
so close to the ground. Sheryl Ann said when she went she was going to
be cremated and have her ashes scattered over Hink’s Shopping Mall,
because that way she could shop for comfortable shoes for all time, what
with having bunyuns and all. I said she’d be ashes then and what would
she be needing shoes for, and she just gave me a dirty look. One of the
tombs at the cemetary was the tomb of Marie Leveau, who was a famous
voodoo priestess who lived in New Orleans. It is said if you knock three
times and draw three X’s on her tomb with chalk and ask her for a wish,
she will grant it. Sheryl Ann did just that, excepting she didn’t have
any chalk so she used an eyebrow pencil instead, and she asked her for a
pair of comfortable shoes. Then she asked to win the Fantasy Five the
next time she played the lotto back home and asked me if I thought she
should make three more X’s on the tomb. I said I figured she was better
safe than sorry, particularly seeing as how she used an eyebrow pencil
instead of chalk, because if she didn’t she might very well get only one
comfortable shoe, and wouldn’t that be a fine how do you do. We went
back to Lu Lu’s where Josephine had a nice batch of pralines waiting for
us. We told her about our visit to the cemetary and Sheryl Ann’s wish
for comfortable shoes and her eyes got very wide and she wrote an
address on a piece of paper. After we ate the pralines we decided to
visit the address, which was in the French Quarter, and it turned out to
be Marie’s Orthopedic Shoes, where Sheryl Ann got a very nice pair that
did her feet well for the rest of the trip.

Josephine’s Pralines

1/4 Cup water
2T margarine
1 Cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Cup Confectioner's sugar
1/2 teasp vanilla extract
1 Cup chopped pecans

Place large towel on counter w/wax paper on top; In medium saucepan, add
water and butter; Bring to boil; Stir in sugars; Bring back to boil;
Boil and stir 1 minute only; Remove from heat;
Stir in vanilla and pecans; Beat by hand until it begins to thicken
slightly; Note: DO NOT OVER BEAT! candy will harden too soon;
Immediately drop from teaspoon on to wax paper; Cool and store in
covered container;

"zxcvbob" <wrote, in part> Josephine’s Pralines
>
> 1/4 Cup water
> 2T margarine
> 1 Cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
> 1 Cup Confectioner's sugar
> 1/2 teasp vanilla extract
> 1 Cup chopped pecans
>
> Place large towel on counter w/wax paper on top; In medium saucepan, add
> water and butter; Bring to boil; Stir in sugars; Bring back to boil; Boil
> and stir 1 minute only; Remove from heat;
> Stir in vanilla and pecans; Beat by hand until it begins to thicken
> slightly; Note: DO NOT OVER BEAT! candy will harden too soon; Immediately
> drop from teaspoon on to wax paper; Cool and store in covered container;
>
Here's the method I use lately. We have a fierce microwave and I back off
from the High setting. A clear sunny day is the best weather for these. We
sent some to our deployed in Afghanistan Christmas 2010; this year they go
to Kuwait.

Microwave Pralines

l box butterscotch pie filling (NOT instant) (weighs about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
l cup sugar (Not confectioner's)
l tablespoon butter (cold is okay, it will melt)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans ( if you're going for world/class competition, brush
the pecans to remove any bits of woodsy redish dust before chopping)

Wipe countertop with damp cloth so the foil will stay in place and spread a
large sheet of aluminum foil on counter
Sift or sieve together pie filling and both sugars; mix with evaporated milk
in microwave safe mixing bowl and add butter.
Cook 3 minutes on high (says the recipe, I back off to level 8).
Stir.
Cook 2 more minutes, stir. Cook 2 more minutes. Stir. You're looking for
less than 220 degrees. If you use a candy thermometer, be sure to temper it
by setting it first in a cup of hot water.
Add pecans and vanilla. Stir.
Drop on foil.
If it gets too thick while you're dipping add a FEW drops of evaporated milk
that's left in the can.
Some pralines will set immediately, some make take overnight. Polly

"Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]..
> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
> have only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>
> Second... What should they taste like, look like, and the texture?
>
> I ask because I bought one today at Hobby Lobby and I don't think it was
> right.
>
> They are not common in this area.
>
> We got them all the time when I lived in Wichita.
>
> Then when we moved here to WA, we would get them at this one Mexican
> restaurant. They were just like I remembered. Round, kind of flat like a
> cookie and loaded with pecan nut halves. The taste was rich and of brown
> sugar and it had sort of a gritty/sugary feel in the mouth. Not exactly
> crisp but hard to describe. Certainly not soft or gooey.
>
> I do remember buying one in a Mexican grocery here a few years back and it
> wasn't like I remembered it but now I can't remember why.
>
> The one I bought today seemed just weird to me. I only had one bite. My
> parents ate the rest and they said it was just fine and what it was
> supposed to taste like. But I think they were wrong.
>
> First this was made with a mix of pecans and walnuts and it said there
> could be peanuts in it. The nuts were chopped. Not finely chopped but
> pretty small pieces. And not a lot of nuts.
>
> The shape was a really thick, chunky oval. Much thicker than I think it
> should be.

Yes, that sounds too thick. They typically have the shape of dough cookies.

> The texture was soft and creamy. The nuts were not crisp at all and there
> was no brown sugar taste or mouthfeel. My parents said it tasted rich to
> them but it didn't to me. Not at all. Just sweet. Kind of sickly sweet.
> The texture was just creamy. Sort of like a really thick cake icing. And
> I don't think that's right.
>
> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
> remembered.
>
> So... How should they be?
>
> Thanks!

Southern pralines (pronounced prah-leens) are different from pralines in
most other parts of the world. (In most other places, praline is a smooth
paste of cocoa blended with finely ground nuts and used to fill chocolate
bon-bons.)

Southern pralines are a sweet confection made of pecans, or walnuts, and a
(sometimes) creamy, sugary, caramelized coating.

I think the best pralines are the smooth, creamy pralines made with pecan
halves, not pieces.

If you don't have a sweet tooth you might want to start out with chewy
pralines, which is basically caramel and nuts.

Pralines tend to dry out over time and get "gritty/sugary". Most people use
light brown sugar.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

"zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>>
>> C'mon y'all from south of the Mason-Dixon. I'm a NYer. I've
>> made them a couple times and thought I'd failed. They have come out
>> as a gooey cookie that is *almost* grainy caramel. It can still be
>> broken, but it bends quite a bit before it comes apart.
>>
>
>
> That sounds right. Add some pecan halves and large pieces and it should
> be good. Here's a recipe I saved a while back that looks right, but I
> haven't made it yet. Notice it's made with water instead of milk and has
> no corn syrup:
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Josephine's Pralines
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> One day we went out to visit a cemetary in New Orleans called The St.
> Louis Cemetary. All the folks in the St. Louis cemetary are buried above
> ground in stone crypts because of the water table in New Orleans being so
> close to the ground. Sheryl Ann said when she went she was going to be
> cremated and have her ashes scattered over Hink’s Shopping Mall, because
> that way she could shop for comfortable shoes for all time, what with
> having bunyuns and all. I said she’d be ashes then and what would she be
> needing shoes for, and she just gave me a dirty look. One of the tombs at
> the cemetary was the tomb of Marie Leveau, who was a famous voodoo
> priestess who lived in New Orleans. It is said if you knock three times
> and draw three X’s on her tomb with chalk and ask her for a wish, she will
> grant it. Sheryl Ann did just that, excepting she didn’t have any chalk so
> she used an eyebrow pencil instead, and she asked her for a pair of
> comfortable shoes. Then she asked to win the Fantasy Five the next time
> she played the lotto back home and asked me if I thought she should make
> three more X’s on the tomb. I said I figured she was better safe than
> sorry, particularly seeing as how she used an eyebrow pencil instead of
> chalk, because if she didn’t she might very well get only one comfortable
> shoe, and wouldn’t that be a fine how do you do. We went back to Lu Lu’s
> where Josephine had a nice batch of pralines waiting for us. We told her
> about our visit to the cemetary and Sheryl Ann’s wish for comfortable
> shoes and her eyes got very wide and she wrote an address on a piece of
> paper. After we ate the pralines we decided to visit the address, which
> was in the French Quarter, and it turned out to be Marie’s Orthopedic
> Shoes, where Sheryl Ann got a very nice pair that did her feet well for
> the rest of the trip.
>
> Josephine’s Pralines
>
> 1/4 Cup water
> 2T margarine
> 1 Cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
> 1 Cup Confectioner's sugar
> 1/2 teasp vanilla extract
> 1 Cup chopped pecans
>
> Place large towel on counter w/wax paper on top; In medium saucepan, add
> water and butter; Bring to boil; Stir in sugars; Bring back to boil; Boil
> and stir 1 minute only; Remove from heat;
> Stir in vanilla and pecans; Beat by hand until it begins to thicken
> slightly; Note: DO NOT OVER BEAT! candy will harden too soon; Immediately
> drop from teaspoon on to wax paper; Cool and store in covered container;

This is a recipe for old-fashioned, sugary pralines. These aren't creamy
pralines.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

"Polly Esther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> "zxcvbob" <wrote, in part> Josephine’s Pralines
>>
>> 1/4 Cup water
>> 2T margarine
>> 1 Cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
>> 1 Cup Confectioner's sugar
>> 1/2 teasp vanilla extract
>> 1 Cup chopped pecans
>>
>> Place large towel on counter w/wax paper on top; In medium saucepan, add
>> water and butter; Bring to boil; Stir in sugars; Bring back to boil; Boil
>> and stir 1 minute only; Remove from heat;
>> Stir in vanilla and pecans; Beat by hand until it begins to thicken
>> slightly; Note: DO NOT OVER BEAT! candy will harden too soon; Immediately
>> drop from teaspoon on to wax paper; Cool and store in covered container;
>>
> Here's the method I use lately. We have a fierce microwave and I back off
> from the High setting. A clear sunny day is the best weather for these.
> We sent some to our deployed in Afghanistan Christmas 2010; this year they
> go to Kuwait.
>
> Microwave Pralines
>
> l box butterscotch pie filling (NOT instant) (weighs about 3 ounces)
> 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
> l cup sugar (Not confectioner's)
> l tablespoon butter (cold is okay, it will melt)
> 1/2 cup evaporated milk
> 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
> 2 cups chopped pecans ( if you're going for world/class competition, brush
> the pecans to remove any bits of woodsy redish dust before chopping)
>
> Wipe countertop with damp cloth so the foil will stay in place and spread
> a large sheet of aluminum foil on counter
> Sift or sieve together pie filling and both sugars; mix with evaporated
> milk in microwave safe mixing bowl and add butter.
> Cook 3 minutes on high (says the recipe, I back off to level 8).
> Stir.
> Cook 2 more minutes, stir. Cook 2 more minutes. Stir. You're looking for
> less than 220 degrees. If you use a candy thermometer, be sure to temper
> it by setting it first in a cup of hot water.
> Add pecans and vanilla. Stir.
> Drop on foil.
> If it gets too thick while you're dipping add a FEW drops of evaporated
> milk that's left in the can.
> Some pralines will set immediately, some make take overnight. Polly

Be very careful. I've melted plastic bowls in the microwave when making
candy.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

"Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]..
> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
> have only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>
> Second... What should they taste like, look like, and the texture?
>
> I ask because I bought one today at Hobby Lobby and I don't think it was
> right.
>
> They are not common in this area.
>
> We got them all the time when I lived in Wichita.
>
> Then when we moved here to WA, we would get them at this one Mexican
> restaurant. They were just like I remembered. Round, kind of flat like a
> cookie and loaded with pecan nut halves. The taste was rich and of brown
> sugar and it had sort of a gritty/sugary feel in the mouth. Not exactly
> crisp but hard to describe. Certainly not soft or gooey.
>
> I do remember buying one in a Mexican grocery here a few years back and it
> wasn't like I remembered it but now I can't remember why.
>
> The one I bought today seemed just weird to me. I only had one bite. My
> parents ate the rest and they said it was just fine and what it was
> supposed to taste like. But I think they were wrong.
>
> First this was made with a mix of pecans and walnuts and it said there
> could be peanuts in it. The nuts were chopped. Not finely chopped but
> pretty small pieces. And not a lot of nuts.
>
> The shape was a really thick, chunky oval. Much thicker than I think it
> should be.
>
> The texture was soft and creamy. The nuts were not crisp at all and there
> was no brown sugar taste or mouthfeel. My parents said it tasted rich to
> them but it didn't to me. Not at all. Just sweet. Kind of sickly sweet.
> The texture was just creamy. Sort of like a really thick cake icing. And
> I don't think that's right.
>
> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
> remembered.
>
> So... How should they be?
>
> Thanks!

I've never made them before, but I'm going to try this recipe.
http://www.food.com/recipe/pralines-27340

It contains whipping/heavy cream. I've seen sweetened condensed milk in
other recipes.

You might want to watch a video before you make them. Pralines are kind of
tricky.

Some people toast the pecans first.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

"Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jbh6jb$joq$[email protected]..
>
> "Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]..
>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>> have only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>>
>> Second... What should they taste like, look like, and the texture?
>>
>> I ask because I bought one today at Hobby Lobby and I don't think it was
>> right.
>>
>> They are not common in this area.
>>
>> We got them all the time when I lived in Wichita.
>>
>> Then when we moved here to WA, we would get them at this one Mexican
>> restaurant. They were just like I remembered. Round, kind of flat like
>> a cookie and loaded with pecan nut halves. The taste was rich and of
>> brown sugar and it had sort of a gritty/sugary feel in the mouth. Not
>> exactly crisp but hard to describe. Certainly not soft or gooey.
>>
>> I do remember buying one in a Mexican grocery here a few years back and
>> it wasn't like I remembered it but now I can't remember why.
>>
>> The one I bought today seemed just weird to me. I only had one bite. My
>> parents ate the rest and they said it was just fine and what it was
>> supposed to taste like. But I think they were wrong.
>>
>> First this was made with a mix of pecans and walnuts and it said there
>> could be peanuts in it. The nuts were chopped. Not finely chopped but
>> pretty small pieces. And not a lot of nuts.
>>
>> The shape was a really thick, chunky oval. Much thicker than I think it
>> should be.
>
> Yes, that sounds too thick. They typically have the shape of dough
> cookies.
>
>> The texture was soft and creamy. The nuts were not crisp at all and
>> there was no brown sugar taste or mouthfeel. My parents said it tasted
>> rich to them but it didn't to me. Not at all. Just sweet. Kind of
>> sickly sweet. The texture was just creamy. Sort of like a really thick
>> cake icing. And I don't think that's right.
>>
>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>> remembered.
>>
>> So... How should they be?
>>
>> Thanks!
>
> Southern pralines (pronounced prah-leens) are different from pralines in
> most other parts of the world. (In most other places, praline is a smooth
> paste of cocoa blended with finely ground nuts and used to fill chocolate
> bon-bons.)
>
> Southern pralines are a sweet confection made of pecans, or walnuts, and a
> (sometimes) creamy, sugary, caramelized coating.
>
> I think the best pralines are the smooth, creamy pralines made with pecan
> halves, not pieces.
>
> If you don't have a sweet tooth you might want to start out with chewy
> pralines, which is basically caramel and nuts.
>
> Pralines tend to dry out over time and get "gritty/sugary". Most people
> use light brown sugar.
>
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
Walnuts, pecans (sliced or halved), almonds, or peanuts ? Use what you like
or what you have.We used take MIL a tin of pralines for a Christmas happy.
She kept them carefully wrapped in wax paper in a tin with a tight lid. Hid
them Didn't share. Managed to ration out until nearly Easter. She didn't
like me much but she surely loved my pralines. Polly

lol, Lee
"Polly Esther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> "Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:jbh6jb$joq$[email protected]..
>>
>> "Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]..
>>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>>> have only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>>>
>>> Second... What should they taste like, look like, and the texture?
>>>
>>> I ask because I bought one today at Hobby Lobby and I don't think it was
>>> right.
>>>
>>> They are not common in this area.
>>>
>>> We got them all the time when I lived in Wichita.
>>>
>>> Then when we moved here to WA, we would get them at this one Mexican
>>> restaurant. They were just like I remembered. Round, kind of flat like
>>> a cookie and loaded with pecan nut halves. The taste was rich and of
>>> brown sugar and it had sort of a gritty/sugary feel in the mouth. Not
>>> exactly crisp but hard to describe. Certainly not soft or gooey.
>>>
>>> I do remember buying one in a Mexican grocery here a few years back and
>>> it wasn't like I remembered it but now I can't remember why.
>>>
>>> The one I bought today seemed just weird to me. I only had one bite.
>>> My parents ate the rest and they said it was just fine and what it was
>>> supposed to taste like. But I think they were wrong.
>>>
>>> First this was made with a mix of pecans and walnuts and it said there
>>> could be peanuts in it. The nuts were chopped. Not finely chopped but
>>> pretty small pieces. And not a lot of nuts.
>>>
>>> The shape was a really thick, chunky oval. Much thicker than I think it
>>> should be.
>>
>> Yes, that sounds too thick. They typically have the shape of dough
>> cookies.
>>
>>> The texture was soft and creamy. The nuts were not crisp at all and
>>> there was no brown sugar taste or mouthfeel. My parents said it tasted
>>> rich to them but it didn't to me. Not at all. Just sweet. Kind of
>>> sickly sweet. The texture was just creamy. Sort of like a really thick
>>> cake icing. And I don't think that's right.
>>>
>>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the
>>> texture should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly
>>> like I remembered.
>>>
>>> So... How should they be?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>
>> Southern pralines (pronounced prah-leens) are different from pralines in
>> most other parts of the world. (In most other places, praline is a smooth
>> paste of cocoa blended with finely ground nuts and used to fill chocolate
>> bon-bons.)
>>
>> Southern pralines are a sweet confection made of pecans, or walnuts, and
>> a (sometimes) creamy, sugary, caramelized coating.
>>
>> I think the best pralines are the smooth, creamy pralines made with
>> pecan halves, not pieces.
>>
>> If you don't have a sweet tooth you might want to start out with chewy
>> pralines, which is basically caramel and nuts.
>>
>> Pralines tend to dry out over time and get "gritty/sugary". Most people
>> use light brown sugar.
>>
>>
>> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
> Walnuts, pecans (sliced or halved), almonds, or peanuts ? Use what you
> like or what you have.We used take MIL a tin of pralines for a Christmas
> happy. She kept them carefully wrapped in wax paper in a tin with a tight
> lid. Hid them Didn't share. Managed to ration out until nearly Easter.
> She didn't like me much but she surely loved my pralines. Polly
>

"Christopher M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jbh6jb$joq$[email protected]..
>
> "Julie Bove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:jbf93a$6l4$[email protected]..
>> First... How do you pronounce them? I grew up saying "prayleen" but I
>> have only heard "prawline" or "prawleen" from other people.
>>
>> Second... What should they taste like, look like, and the texture?
>>
>> I ask because I bought one today at Hobby Lobby and I don't think it was
>> right.
>>
>> They are not common in this area.
>>
>> We got them all the time when I lived in Wichita.
>>
>> Then when we moved here to WA, we would get them at this one Mexican
>> restaurant. They were just like I remembered. Round, kind of flat like
>> a cookie and loaded with pecan nut halves. The taste was rich and of
>> brown sugar and it had sort of a gritty/sugary feel in the mouth. Not
>> exactly crisp but hard to describe. Certainly not soft or gooey.
>>
>> I do remember buying one in a Mexican grocery here a few years back and
>> it wasn't like I remembered it but now I can't remember why.
>>
>> The one I bought today seemed just weird to me. I only had one bite. My
>> parents ate the rest and they said it was just fine and what it was
>> supposed to taste like. But I think they were wrong.
>>
>> First this was made with a mix of pecans and walnuts and it said there
>> could be peanuts in it. The nuts were chopped. Not finely chopped but
>> pretty small pieces. And not a lot of nuts.
>>
>> The shape was a really thick, chunky oval. Much thicker than I think it
>> should be.
>
> Yes, that sounds too thick. They typically have the shape of dough
> cookies.
>
>> The texture was soft and creamy. The nuts were not crisp at all and
>> there was no brown sugar taste or mouthfeel. My parents said it tasted
>> rich to them but it didn't to me. Not at all. Just sweet. Kind of
>> sickly sweet. The texture was just creamy. Sort of like a really thick
>> cake icing. And I don't think that's right.
>>
>> I have looked up various recipes and I can't really tell what the texture
>> should be from those but the shape and look of them is exactly like I
>> remembered.
>>
>> So... How should they be?
>>
>> Thanks!
>
> Southern pralines (pronounced prah-leens) are different from pralines in
> most other parts of the world. (In most other places, praline is a smooth
> paste of cocoa blended with finely ground nuts and used to fill chocolate
> bon-bons.)
>
> Southern pralines are a sweet confection made of pecans, or walnuts, and a
> (sometimes) creamy, sugary, caramelized coating.
>
> I think the best pralines are the smooth, creamy pralines made with pecan
> halves, not pieces.
>
> If you don't have a sweet tooth you might want to start out with chewy
> pralines, which is basically caramel and nuts.
>
> Pralines tend to dry out over time and get "gritty/sugary". Most people
> use light brown sugar.
>
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

Perhaps it is the chewy ones I have had then and perhaps they were old.

"Julie Bove" <> wrote >>>

> Perhaps it is the chewy ones I have had then and perhaps they were old.

We'd have to go wake up Alton Brown to explain but there is a split second
(or less) between cooking too long and perfect. AND, if you're cooking on a
rainy night or your kitchen is humid because of something else this will
affect the 'grit' or puddle too.
I've made perfect pralines, concrete pralines and syrupy ones. Never,
ever, not once have I had to throw any out. You just pound the gritty ones
and sprinkle them on ice cream. If a few don't 'set', you hand somebody a
spoon. Everybody smiles. Nobody dies. Polly

"Polly Esther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> "Julie Bove" <> wrote >>>
>
>> Perhaps it is the chewy ones I have had then and perhaps they were old.
>
> We'd have to go wake up Alton Brown to explain but there is a split second
> (or less) between cooking too long and perfect. AND, if you're cooking on
> a rainy night or your kitchen is humid because of something else this will
> affect the 'grit' or puddle too.
> I've made perfect pralines, concrete pralines and syrupy ones. Never,
> ever, not once have I had to throw any out. You just pound the gritty
> ones and sprinkle them on ice cream. If a few don't 'set', you hand
> somebody a spoon. Everybody smiles. Nobody dies. Polly
I've made a lot of candy over the years but never those. Not sure why since
they were always a favorite. Maybe I just never had a recipe in the days
when I made candy. I haven't made much since I've had the Internet.

My mom said she made a lot of peanut brittle as a child. She was going to
make it for everyone for Christmas that year and it just wouldn't get
brittle. Had to do with the humidity.

I guess we are lucky here. Although it does apparently get humid (I have
checked) it isn't often that we feel it. So candy almost always comes out
well here.

When I first met the people who are now my inlaws, I offended them by
bringing some of what are my favorite chocolates, Dilletantes. I now know
it is rude to bring foreign chocolate to anyone living in PA. They LOVE
their Hershey's. I also brought some butter toffee peanuts. My MIL laughed
and said they wouldn't hold up. And they didn't. By morning they were
sitting in a puddle of sticky goo.

Chips and cookies also don't hold up there well unless they are in a well
sealed container. Your standard cookie jar is no good unless they are meant
to be soft cookies.

Just curious though.... Does brown sugar get hard in a humid area? It does
get hard here unless it is in a sealed plastic bag.