Texas Pecan Pralines

These pralines are made from the recipe by Lisa Fain of Homesick Texan fame. My husband started craving them when he saw her recipe featured in this month's Texas Monthly. He has always been the chief praline maker in our family, but I wanted to make these for him after I found the recipe in my Homesick Texan Cookbook. Mr. Katy Rose is still king of the praline though, because mine turned out grainy, but delicious. I think I allowed them to boil too quickly. Who knows? Candy making is a very mysterious process to me. It is very damp and rainy today, so I shall blame the weather.

If you have not read The Homesick Texan Cookbook, I joyfully encourage you to buy it. Her stories are almost as much a draw for me as the recipes they accompany. She writes with a warm natural ease, and her friendliness imparts a "come on over for coffee" vibe. Some day soon I will post here my review of her book and the recipes I've tried.

In this recipe I used a mix of pecans and almonds because I was short on pecans, but I really prefer pecans, toasted, lightly salted, and coarsely chopped.

Texas Pecan Pralines
adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

2 cups white sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups toasted pecans
1 tablespoon salted butter
2/3 cup 1% milk

Mix all ingredients very well in large saucepan. Bring to boil on medium high heat; cook and stir until temperature reaches 234F on candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir until mixture loses its gloss and temperature reaches 140F. Spoon by 1/4 cup measure onto parchment lined trays. Let cool about 20 minutes and remove to wire rack. Store lightly covered. Makes about 24-30.