I have a wonderful Louisiana cookbook called Cést si Bon! which I bought in the 70s. This is a noteworthy cookbook because it has some of the best authentic Cajun recipes around. It also has an Our Chef's section which has interesting instructions you probably have never experienced in recipes before. These explicit directives are very helpful in making the recipe work and just the other day, I made these perfectly delectable Chet's Pralines. The recipe yields 20 and guess how many are still hanging around...thanks, Chet for all the helpful instructions!! You're a good man for sharing this gem...Cést si bon!
How to make Chet's Pralines:
Mix well:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups sweet milk
1/3 teaspoon soda in "dutch oven" or something deep because it foams up while cooking. Cook over medium heat until hardball forms when dropped in water. Stir occasionally while cooking to prevent sticking to bottom of container.
Take off stove and add;
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix well and return to stove and cook one-two minutes more. Remove from stove and whip until starts to thicken. Drop spoon-fulls on wax paper, and drop fast because it hardens quickly once it starts. By the time you have dropped the last one, the first one you dropped is usually ready to pick-up. These are the greatest pralines you have ever eaten. Do not cook on a rainy day, they will not harden. Chet Beckwith
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