Candy Time! How to make Pecan Pralines

A friend of mine recently returned from a trip where she visited New Orleans. I've never been but heard it's a foodie paradise... a place where I would probably put on 10 lbs. eating all the fried fish, po' boys and beignets. We chatted about all the delicious food she tried and she told me about Pecan Pralines, which she became so enamored with that she brought a box home with her. I've never had them, or really heard of them before, but upon hearing her exclamations I had to do some recipe research.

Who better to go to than Emeril Lagasse, the chef of New Orleans food? The recipe is similar to a caramel recipe but the texture is completely different. They’re crumbly, almost like a cookie but not chewy. The flavor reminds me of the brown sugar frosting for the Soft Pumpkin Cookies, and I’m crazy about that frosting, so these are pretty fantastic.

Of course I did a few tweaks along the way… I’m in love with vanilla so I added 2 tsp of vanilla, but you could get away with just 1 tsp if you’re not obsessive like me. These are truly a candy and are super sweet- that’s why I decided to add a little sprinkling of Fleur de Sel on top to balance the sweetness. I also thought bittersweet chocolate could add a nice depth of flavor and not add too much to the sweet-factor, like a milk chocolate would.

These would make a perfect gift. Bag them in cellophane with a pretty ribbon or make a plate of assorted goodies, to give away for the Holiday’s, and throw a couple of these in.
(recipe after the jump)