Cajun Pecan Pralines

Boil brown sugar, water and evaporated milk or half-and-half in a small pot. Heat to boiling and then heat until mixture hits softball candy stage. This is about 250 degrees F. I found that my digital thermometer started acting crazy at around 230 degrees, so I let it cook a little longer just to be on the safe side. Stir frequently and quickly to keep from boiling over the pot because you have to boil past the first boiling stage.

Once it’s reached the proper temperature, turn off the heat and add the vanilla and pecans. Mix this up and then add the butter pieces. Mix until the butter is all melted.

Scoop out onto waxed paper. The mixture hardens quickly, so you have to work quickly to get as much as you can out of the pot before it’s too hard to scoop.

Let cool on the waxed paper and enjoy once hardened!