Pralines

We are having company for lunch tomorrow.  It always gets me worked up when we do.  I want things to be perfect.  How will we have a B&B????

I plan to make a Strawberry Puff for dessert.  I have never made this dessert, so I am worried.  Just in case I make a terrible Strawberry Puff, I made some pralines.  They are my fall back dessert for tomorrow.  But because they are sooo good, I may just serve BOTH.  Lucky guest.

I have a recipe I got from Emeril.  No, not personally from Emeril, but it is his, nonetheless.

Pralines

1/2 pound light brown sugar, (1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons) 

OK, I only had the dark kind and I used it.  It's a bit darker than yours will be.  Don't worry about it.  That's MY job.

pinch of salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons evaporated milk  I have no idea what to do with the left over.  Feed it to the cat?  In your coffee?  I tossed it.  But I made a double batch to lessen the waste.

1 1/2 teaspoons butter

1 cup chopped pecans.  I bought pecans in bulk from Costco when we had a card.  They are now a bazillion miles away, negating any savings, so now we buy them from Sam's Club.

                                  

Mix sugar, salt, milk and butter in a large, heavy sauce pan.  If you have a Le Crueset french oven, use that.  I used my Martha Stewart version, which is way cheaper and works great. Stir constantly (OK, that is the lawyer talking.  Stir most of the time and keep an eye on it.) with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.  Then add the chopped pecans.

                                    

 Cook over medium heat until the temperature is 234-340, or soft ball stage.  Use a thermometer.   I try to guess soft ball stage and it is always wrong.  Just buy the stupid thermometer and go with that.  It will start to pull away from the pan.

                                       

Remove pan from heat and stir rapidly until it starts to thicken.  Drop the pralines by the teaspoon onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Or do what I do and use the Silpats right on a granite counter top.  Easy peasy.

                                     

Store in an airtight container.  Yeah, or throw them in a Ziploc bag.  Both work.

I made a double batch, so I hope she likes them.  Or I will be eating these for, well, maybe a day???  I could stretch it out to two days, but I doubt it.  Maybe I need to go to the library and give them some pralines.