One of my favorite candies to eat as a little girl were pralines that my parents would purchase at the local grocer. When we lived near Dallas when I was younger we usually only got these treats during Christmastime. Once we moved to the Hill Country the summer before my sixth grade year my brothers and sister and I got these delectable treats more often. I don’t know if it was because they were more plentiful or if it was because my mother got them straight from the confectioner–all I know is that those pralines were especially good.
We had many different kinds of pralines. Some were bigger than my hand and some were small like a cookie. Some were made with pecans, while others were made with peanuts or cashews. Some were a milky color and others tinted pinkish-red. No matter the ingredients or size, my parents always broke off a piece or two and gave one to each of my siblings and me. We never got a whole praline I think because of how sweet they are unless it was a special occasion.
My favorite way to eat pralines had to be with a coke and peanuts. We’d then drop peanuts into our cokes (I usually had a Dr Pepper) and sip on that during the day. The peanuts would make the coke fizz, plus it was fun eating the coke-soaked peanuts at the end.
The memory of peanuts in my Dr Pepper had me wondering how pralines might taste if made with Dr Pepper and peanuts. So, seeing as I had never made a praline before, I set out to find a recipe that I might be able to change to accommodate my craving for Dr Pepper and peanuts. I got it right the first try.
Dr Pepper Peanut Pralines (click here for printable recipe)
1 cup white sugar (use Imperial brand for authenticity)
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup Dr Pepper
1/4 heavy whipping cream
1 tsp baking soda
1 T butter (real, no substitutions)
1 1/2 c peanuts, shelled (you can use roasted, salted, unsalted, whatever you like)
Over medium high heat in a heavy three quart saucepan, mix together the sugars, Dr Pepper, heavy whipping cream, and baking soda. Stir frequently. As the mixture heats up it will foam, so stir to break down the foam or remove briefly from heat to allow the foam to die down. Once the mixture reaches 210 F on a candy thermometer (or a very thick syrup), add the butter and continue to stir frequently for about two minutes.
Add the peanuts all at once and stir to combine the mixture. At this point it is necessary that you stir as little as possible and very sparingly, if only to keep the peanuts from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you don’t, your praline will come out grainy. The mixture will thicken and darken once it nears the soft ball stage or at about 230 F.
Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon for eight minutes, until the mixture thickens. Spoon out on foiled-lined baking sheets and allow to cool for fifteen minutes. Makes about ten pralines.
Enjoy!
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