Old-Fashioned Pralines are a classic Southern candy. These luscious, crunchy bites of heaven taste a little like a combination of creamy butterscotch and caramel, all wrapped up in a sugary, fudgy package.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecan pieces on a baking sheet and lightly roast them for five minutes. Set aside to cool.
Bring the sugar, cream, corn syrup, and salt to boil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly.
Continue cooking and stirring the sugar mixture until it reaches the soft-ball stage, which is 236 degrees F. on a candy thermometer. This will take an additional six to eight minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter. Do not stir. Let it stand until it cools a bit and reaches 150 degrees F on a candy thermometer. This will take five to ten minutes. .
Add the pecans and vanilla and constantly stir until the candy begins to lose its gloss and thicken just a bit.
Working rapidly, drop the candy by heaping tablespoons full or use a small cookie scoop onto wax paper or parchment paper. Let stand until completely cool and firm.
Notes
In making candy, the soft-ball stage means that when you drop a bit of the candy into cold water, you can form it into a soft ball with your fingers.Pralines are a delicate candy and keep better if you separate the layers of candy with wax paper or parchment paper.If you are toasting pecan halves instead of pieces, they will take about ten minutes instead of five.Store the pralines in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or you can freeze the candy in an airtight container for up to two months. It takes about 30 minutes for pralines to set properly. As long as you use a good candy thermometer that is accurately calibrated and cook the sugar mixture to the correct temperature, you shouldn't have any issues with your candy setting up.