Pralines

"Tis the season for pecans! Please welcome Alabama belle Steve-Anna Stephens as she shares this classic Southern pecan praline candy recipe. ~Elise Growing up in our house it was generally understood that if there were no more pecans in the can of salted mixed nuts, it was because I got to it first. As a rule, Iâ??m more inclined to go for the salty than the sweet. In fact, Iâ??m not much for candy in general, but anything with sugar and nuts is tempting. And, if the nuts happen to be pecans, well, get out of the way. So if youâ??re from the South (or if youâ??ve ever visited the South) and youâ??ve tasted pecan pralines, you would be correct in assuming that these are one of my all-time favorite sweets. The crunchy pecans and the rich, buttery sauce give them a distinct flavor that takes me straight back to the South, no matter where I am. Candied nuts have been around for ages, but the praline is generally considered to hail from France. French settlers brought the original recipeâ??which consisted of individual almonds coated in caramelized sugarâ??to Louisiana, where chefs substituted locally abundant pecans for the almonds and added cream to make what is now known throughout the South as pecan pralines. Back home in Alabama, pecans are easy to come by. When I moved to Tucson, imagine my delight when I discovered pecan groves thriving in the desert! There are as many different ways to make pecan pralines as there are ways to pronounce them. Some traditional recipes call for evaporated milk, while others use cream, regular milk or even buttermilk. Some people prefer chopped pecans instead of pecan halves, and some like to lightly toast the nuts first. You can make them with or without vanilla, or add your favorite liqueur. Keep in mind that these are candy, not cookies, and they are very sweet. The good news is that pecans are loaded with nutritional value so enjoy! Do you have a favorite recipe for, or a favorite memory of, pecan pralines?..."