Bless your heart! You will be happier than a woodpecker in a lumber yard when you make Southern Pecan Pralines. These little nuggets of happiness are loaded with the crunchiest pee-cans and the gooey-est pray-leen concoction you ever did taste. Honey, put on your best Sunday-go-meetin’-dress and pass the Southern Pecan Pralines right on out to all that come a-callin’. Y’all, they are just so good!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups pecan halves, toasted
- flaky sea salt, optional, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2 –In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, add the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, the heavy cream, the butter, the corn syrup, the cream of tartar, and the kosher salt and cook, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer reads 238 degrees F, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 3 –Transfer the saucepan from the heat and let the caramel mixture cool for 20 minutes.
Step 4 –Stir the vanilla and the pecans into the caramel mixture. Then gently stir until it just begins to thicken and lose its gloss, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix.
Step 5 –Working quickly, drop the pecan mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the tops with the flaky sea salt.
Step 6 –Let the pralines stand until they are cool, about 20 minutes.
Step 7 –Serve.
