Chocolate Pecan Pralines

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This is incredible.  I have been eating so many kinds of home made candies throughout my life.  I have had fudges, chocolates, hard candies and caramels.  I have had Easter candies, Christmas candies and Halloween candies, but I had never had “Pralines”.  Sure I had praline ice cream, but didn’t really know what pralines were.

Then I went to Savannah for the first time in my life.  Believe it or not, I was going for a medical conference.  Can you believe it? I was going to Savannah for a work related meeting that my employer was paying for.  After arriving in Savannah and checking in at the hotel where the conference was being held, I was off.  I was headed straight  to the “Market” .   This is where I found my new obsession.  Pralines!

Of course I ordered a box of them after my free sample that they made fresh right in front of me.  I was off to the register when I found they also had a little gem called “gophers”.  Basically it was like a candy my mom made when I was younger. “Turtles”.  These appeared to be inside out turtles, so I bought a pound of them too.  The cashier asked if I’d like to taste the chocolate pralines?  Chocolate? Me?  UMMMMM….YES!!!!  So now I found heaven, and as you can see, I found a recipe and now they are mine to make.  Once you try these, you will be hooked too.  I hope you enjoy.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown or maple sugar
1/2 cup light cream (light whipping cream or 1/2 and 1/2)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup pecans, broken into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugars, cream and salt. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture over medium heat until it reaches 228 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Add chocolate, butter and pecans, and, stirring constantly, cook the mixture to the soft-ball stage — 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract; let the candy cool for 5 minutes. Beat the candy for 10 to 15 seconds, or until it thickens slightly.
Using a large spoon, immediately drop the mixture in mounds onto buttered plates or wax paper. If the mixture becomes too thick to drop. stir in a tablespoonful of hot water to thin it.