So according to my own commitment to you, I’m supposed to give you enough information here to make your own pralines without actually giving you the recipe in order to entice you to go hit my Patreon thing and sign up. I am sorry about that, but I just can’t see giving “it” away. To that end:

This is my Praline method. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

Cook sugar, brown sugar, butter, whiskey, condensed milk, and kosher salt over medium heat until the soft ball stage. Off heat, add pecans and vanilla and stir for a spell. Drop those bad boys on some parchment, wait until solid and eat.

Now, if you want the numbers, sign up for my Patreon or buy the one off. Yeah, I agree. $3.00 is steep for one recipe, but that’s the minimum Patreon will let me charge. My original plan was a buck. I’m not looking to get rich, I’m just trying to keep the lights on while exchanging value for value.

If you dig my shit, you’d be better off subscribing at the “Fast Food” level. It’s more cost-effective.

Now that my commercial enterprise is out of the way and I’ve honored my commitments, it’s time to get florid about pralines.

What we call Pralines came to this country, like most “Merkin” foods, via Europe. In the case of Pralines, it was the French who make sort of almond brittle they call pralines. I’m not really certain what the difference is between that and a classic nougatine is now that I think about it, but it doesn’t really matter. Think about the different origin stories for the Joker. It’s like that. Similar, but different.

Unlike a brittle, pralines are soft. They range from chewy to almost sandy. I like mine on the sandy side because they remind me of this weird Mexican candy we used to get when we were kids around these parts. Very milky. Like portable dulce de leche. It’s the milk that makes pralines happen.

I’ve seen lots of different recipes. Come call for heavy cream, some for half and half, some for sweetened condensed milk. I use evaporated milk in mine. It gives me the texture and flavor I’m looking for as a base and goes very well with vanilla and most distilled spirits. Also cinnamon. The best pralines come from New Orleans. Southern Candymakers on Decatur street is one of the first places we hit when we visit the Quarter and we buy way too many. They are sinfully wonderful.