The White Oak Experience 77
Food Item: Cajun Pralines (courtesy Chef John Folse)
Yield:50 pralines
The Ursuline nuns brought knowledge of great pastry making to Louisiana when they arrived in the 1700s.
Their most important contribution was the gift of praline candy to the city of New Orleans. Although this
candy was originally made with hazelnuts, bayou country recipes used pecans because of regional abundance.
If desired, pecans may be toasted before being added to the pralines. To toast, bake pecans on a sheet pan at
275 !F for 20–25 minutes or until slightly browned.
Ingredients11 / 2 c (340 g) sugar
(^3) / 4 c (170 g) light brown sugar, packed
(^1) / 2 c (120 ml) milk
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
(^3) / 4 stick (85 g) butter
11 / 2 c (340 g) pecans
Preparation
Combine all ingredients over heat and stir constantly until
mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234–240°F). Remove
from heat and stir until thickened. Praline mixture
should become creamy and cloudy, and pecans
should stay in suspension. Drop spoonfuls onto
buttered wax paper, foil, or parchment paper.
Note: When using wax paper, be sure to buffer with
newspaper underneath, as hot wax will transfer to
whatever is beneath.
The Cajun Pralines and Mardi Gras King Cake are very sweet indeed. To diminish some of this sweetness,
the higher alcohol in a fortified wine such as tawny Port would provide a nice backdrop for these decadent
desserts.