Andrea Badgley is a mom, wife, reader, and writer. She grew up on the coast of Georgia and now lives with her husband and two children in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. Her work appears in Southern Women’s Review, on the Brevity blog, and on The Daily Post. Follow her on Twitter @andreabadgley.
Pralines are grainy because the sugar doesn’t get hot enough to fully dissolve.
I was the lucky recipient of some really good coconut products from a company called Franklin Baker. One of the items was a bag of super crispy and delicious salted coconut flakes that were both sweet and salty and as crisp as a potato chip. If you ever come across the product, make sure to pick some up. This was not like anything else I had ever had before and really wanted to do it justice. The addition of these crisp, sweet and salty flakes were a perfect accompaniment to the pralines and further enhanced the eating experience.
At this point, spoon the mixture onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (NOT WAX PAPER). Allow them to cool completely, then store at room temperature in a lidded Tupperware container.
One thing I did differently than directions provided by Chef Paul, was to add the milk with the butter and sugar to cook until the desired temperature, and then I added the cream and the vanilla together at the very end. I chose to do this because this is an acceptable process used when making creamy toffees. Since I wanted a creamy result, I knew this would make a difference – and it did. Properly made pralines will be sweet but very creamy – once placed on your tongue, they should just melt.
When French colonists arrived in the south, the French recipe of caramelized nuts was transformed into the Creole delicacy we know today with the addition of butter, milk and/or cream. The Creole version also substituted pecans, which are plentiful in the south, instead of the traditional almonds and hazelnuts. Many households in the south have family recipes that have been handed down, and those that don’t search for a dependable way to make this finicky confection.
Since the state of Louisiana (and particularly the city of New Orleans) are especially known for pralines, I looked for recipes from well known culinarians in that area. I came across recipes from two acclaimed New Orleans chefs – one is from Anne Leonhard, the gregarious and entertaining teacher from the New Orleans School of Cooking and the other is from Chef Paul Prudhomme, the ex- Executive Chef of the Commander’s Palace (who hired Emeril upon his departure). Chef Paul went on to do great things on his own and is credited with popularizing Creole cuisine through his love of cooking and his popular line of Creole spice blends.
Andrea Badgley is a mom, wife, reader, and writer. She grew up on the coast of Georgia and now lives with her husband and two children in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. Her work appears in Southern Women’s Review, on the Brevity blog, and on The Daily Post. Follow her on Twitter @andreabadgley.
How It’s Done: Loretta’s Authentic Pralines
FAQ
Why did my pralines come out grainy?
Why did my praline crystallise?
How do you stop pralines from crystallizing?
Why won’t my pralines get hard?
Why do pralines turn out gritty?
If you have a problem with your pralines turning out gritty, chances are that the mixture cooked too long or at too high of a temperature. You will see that the mixture turns crumbly and dry. You can sometimes save it by adding a teaspoon or two of really hot water at a time and stirring it in.
Why are pralines grainy?
When pralines are grainy, it’s likely a result of the mixture of the sugar. Sugar crystallization is the one thing you’ll want to look out for when making pralines. Having patience and paying attention to the mixture will be key to ensuring a good consistency.
What if pralines don’t harden?
If your pralines don’t harden, it is worth giving the mixture another boil and heavy stir. It may also be worth adding buttermilk in small amounts to increase the thickness. Praline mixture has too high of sugar content to become many other things apart from fudge.
Why are my praline candies runny?
One common sight when getting to the end of the cooking process is that your praline candies are runny and almost liquid in appearance. This can be attributed to several factors such as heat, humidity, and ingredients. High heat is going to retard the hardening process.