Yield: Makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients
3/8 pound (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed aluminum pot with deep sides over high heat. When it is melted, add sugars and cream. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add milk and chopped pecans. Cook 4 minutes more, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and whisking for 5 minutes. Add pecan halves and vanilla and continue whisking and cooking until done, about 15 to 20 minutes longer (see notes below on tests for doneness). If the mixture starts to smoke toward the end of cooking, lower the heat.
Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly and carefully drop the pralines onto greased, or parchment-lined, cookie sheet by spoonfuls using the second spoon to scoop the batter off the first. (Caution: Do not to get mixture on skin, as it can cause serious burns.)
Each praline should form a 2-inch patty. Cool completely. Store in airtight container, or wrap each praline in plastic wrap or foil.
A few tips:
The most difficult part of making pralines is judging the precise moment they are done, then spooning them out quickly so they will harden with just the right texture. To judge doneness, use a candy thermometer to heat to 240 degrees. Near end of the cooking time, drizzle spoonfuls of the mixture across the pan's surface. When done, the batter will begin forming distinct threads on the sides or bottom of the pan.
Near end of the cooking time, make a test praline every few seconds. Early test pralines will be somewhat runny, very shiny and somewhat translucent. When properly cooked the candy will be opaque, lusterless and crumbly instead of chewy.
An easy way to clean the pot and utensils: Boil water in the pot with the utensils in it. This will melt the the sugary butter praline mixture.