Bacon Pralines

By Elizabeth LaBau

candy.about.com

(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

This bacon pralines recipe puts a modern spin on a Southern favorite! In addition to the familiar toasted pecans, this version of pralines contains bits of crispy bacon, tangy buttermilk, and a hint of orange zest for an unusual, sweet-and-salty variation of a classic candy.

If you have never made pralines before, I recommend checking out this tutorial video showing how to make pralines, because it will help you to know when your candy is done being beaten and is ready to be scooped and formed.

Yield: About 2 dozen pralines

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp (2 oz) butter, cubed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• 4 slices bacon
• Candy thermometer

Preparation:

1. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of waxed paper or foil. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy, then drain off the fat and let it cool. Once cool, coarsely chop the bacon into half-inch pieces.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, corn syrup, baking soda, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Insert the candy thermometer.

3. Continue to cook the candy, stirring occasionally, until it reads 235 degrees F (112 C) on the thermometer. This will take about 20 minutes. Because of the reaction between the baking soda and the buttermilk, the candy will turn dark brown, but as long as you monitor the temperature carefully, it won't burn.

4. Once it reaches the proper temperature, remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining ingredients: the butter, vanilla extract, pecans, orange zest, and chopped bacon.

5. Stir the praline mixture with a wooden spoon. Gradually, over the course of about 5 minutes, it will go from being a thin, shiny liquid to a thicker opaque mixture. The trick with pralines is to stop stirring before they are fully set, otherwise you won't be able to scoop them nicely. So look for the candy to feel thicker and lose its shine, but don't wait for it to be thick like fudge.

6. Once it is thick and opaque, use a small spoon to drop scoops of praline mixture onto the foil-lined pan. Sometimes the praline hardens in the pan before all of the candies are scooped. If this happens, try adding a spoonful of very hot water and stir it into the pralines to loosen the candy, then continue scooping.

7. After all of the pralines are formed, let them sit and harden at room temperature. Once set, they're ready to be served. Store Bacon Pralines in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.