I’ve visited New Orleans, Louisiana a few times, but every single time I go, I make sure to stop into the New Orleans School of Cooking and take a class. These classes are always a great time! I usually opt for the cooking demonstration style classes where a chef makes 3 or 4 recipes in front of a group of people and then we get to eat what he makes. Another neat aspect of the classes is that they tell you a bit of history about the recipes and the region while you’re there. If you can, go on a Monday and take the read beans and rice class. They only make red beans and rice on Mondays and I’ll make you take the class to find out why that is.
Every class though, makes pralines as the dessert. Pralines are the school’s specialty. In fact, if you just stop in to the storefront, they have an employee making pralines all day long in the front window. But nothing beats those freshly made, slightly still warm pralines. OMG. Yum.
Since I can’t make a trip to New Orleans right now, I decided to make a batch of these melt in your mouth pecan pralines myself. If you’d like to make some too, here’s the recipe:
New Orleans School of Cooking Famous Pecan Pralines
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 dash salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups chopped and roasted pecans
- 1 tablespoon vanilla (or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon bourbon)
- Roast pecans by spreading them out on a baking sheet and roasting them at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until browned and fragrant)
- Put all ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a softball stage (about 240 degrees).
- Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens and becomes creamy and cloudy.
- Spoon out the mixture on parchment paper in 3 inch round blobs. They will harden at room temperature within a few minutes.
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