Rhett Butler Pecan Pralines!

Because I'm already missing the deep south and I wanted the scent of it in my home and the taste of it on my lips.   

Many fine cotton plantations converted to pecan plantations after the War of Northern Aggression as they were less dependent on free manual labor. 

I like a beverage when I'm in the kitchen. Today's choice - something hot in a French Press.

Take 2 cups of chopped pecans and toast them in a 300 degree oven for at least 10 minutes.  This is important to make your pralines crunchy.

Then take half of the nuts and chop them up a little more than how you found them.

Here is the rest of what you need to conjure Rhett Butler in your home.

He likes it when you have parchment paper (rather than aluminum), butter (slightly less than a whole stick), organic WHOLE milk (heavy cream really speaks to his heart) sugar,  brown sugar, unsulphured black strap molasses (for hand making your brown sugar) & vanilla extract.  Toss into the rubbish your brown sugar from the store.  I'll show you how to create your own.

Place your pecans (about a cup and a half) into a HEAVY bottom kettle  I used a porcelain coated cast iron kettle.

S-U-G-A-R.  Okay I broke out the measuring cup this time because it was my virgin candy-making activity and I was scared.  I cup and a half.  Sugar parity with pecans.

 

Now if you listen real close, you will hear the whisperings of Mammy telling you to make your own brown sugar.

Okay.. maybe not exactly whispering.

It's that simple! Now get yourself a fork and...

Oui La! Brown sugar.  Too much molasses and you'll understand how black licorice is made. Just add more sugar. I'm tellin' ya, it changes EVERYTHING when you do it this way in place of store brown sugar.

  Now pack it real good, about 3/4 cup. and place it in your kettle.



This didn't strike me funny until now.  Notice anything 'bout this 'measuring' cup?

 

uhhh...there's NO WRITING on it!  I've used it this way for years.  I'm too lazy to buy a new one. I guess it gives me comfort that I'm kinda measuring something when I'm feeling chicken.  

Add the milk and BUTTER (6tbs) to the kettle and turn your burner on to medium.  Here is where I was really wishing I had a gas stove.  I think this kind of cooking would benefit from precise heat from a constant flame.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (tape it down) and grease it.

 

I've made enough baking errors in the kitchen over the years to have a genuine concern of things sticking.  I was scared, so I then did this...

Yes, this is butter...on top of  Crisco. Sue me. 

Next prepare an 'Ice bath'.  This reminded me of high school dryland ski training where a pulled hamstring would send me to the physical therapist office to submerge my entire leg in a trash pail 'ice bath' for 20 minutes.  brrr.

This is where you are going to place your kettle the moment you take it off the stove.

I don't know how long I waited for the mixture to resemble candy. I watched a TED segment.  And refilled my hot beverage a couple times.  All while stirring frequently.  After a while, it started to thicken and do this...

Then things start to happen really fast.
 Place the kettle in your ice bath and stir for just a moment, just a nano second while it cools.
 Then using two soup spoons, do this...


And this...

 

If you leave them in the ice bath too long, THIS will occur - oopsies...

..crumbly..

Let them cool for a few moments, they should harden immediately. You can even pop them in the freezer for a minute.

Mmmmmm...

They were scarfed up by Rhett Butler before I remembered to photo all of them!

 Ciao!