Miss Audrey’s Pecan Praline Recipe

Seeking a sweet treat? Try this creamy homemade pecan praline recipe just like, well, my mom used to make.

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Story by Pamela Price (with Iris Gonzalez)

This praline is my late mother’s unique recipe.

I say that because it’s almost but not exactly quite like the Mexican pecan candy one typically encounters—it’s “milkier.”

And it isn’t a Texan praline or anything like the southern pralines you’ll find in Louisiana.

My mom’s recipe only calls for four ingredients. The rest is all in watching the temperature and pouring quickly because these candies set up right fast.

Make life easy on yourself and use cupcake liners in a regular sized muffin pan for molding the candies.

Miss Audrey’s Pecan Praline Recipe

Yield: 14 cupcake-liner sized pralines

Ingredients

• 2 cups of white sugar
• 1 cup condensed milk
• I tablespoon butter
• 1 cup of pecans (whole or pieces)

Method

1. Add the sugar to a small-medium sized saucepan. Turn stove on medium-high heat and watch the sugar as it begins to melt.
2. Place the pecans on a large flat plate in a single layer and microwave for only 30 seconds. The nuts should feel slightly warm. It’s the easy way to toast them. Set aside to cool while you watch the sugar like a hawk.
3. Once the sugar starts melting around the edges, add the condensed milk and butter. Bring mixture to a boil and stir frequently so the milk content in the condensed milk doesn’t burn. If you see small flecks of browned milk solids, don’t worry, just keep stirring and checking the temperature with a quick read thermometer. Get a laser gun thermometer from Home Depot or Lowe’s for about $20, it’s a great kitchen tool.
4. When the thermometer registers 234 degrees the candy will be at soft-ball stage. Soft-ball stage refers to a specific temperature range when cooking sugar between 235 and 245 degrees F. Stir constantly and keep measuring the temperature until it gets closer to but not over 245!
5. As you reach 242 degrees or so, add the pecans (which cools the mixture a bit) and remove the pot from heat. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is not so glossy. 
6. Quickly spoon pralines into the cupcake liners in each well of your muffin pan. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
7. Keep in a highly closed container so they don’t absorb moisture and get too soft. They’ll last as long as you can avoid eating them.