Chocolate Pecan Pralines - Prudhomme
Grrrrrgh!
Course : Cajun
From: HungryMonster.com
 

Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1 1/2  sticks        unsalted butter
   1      cup           sugar
   1      cup           packed -- light brown sugar
   1      cup           milk
     1/2  cup           heavy cream
   1      cup           coarsely chopped pecans
   2      cups          whole pecan halves
   2      tablespoons   vanilla extract
   1 1/2  cups          semisweet chocolate chips
 

Preparation:

NOTE: Chocolate chips should be chilled. Assemble all the ingredients and utensils before starting to cook. (Measure out the chocolate chips and keep them refrigerated until just before needed.) You will need a large, heavy-bottomed aluminum pot or skillet with deep sides, a long-handled metal whisk or spoon, 2 large spoons (or an ice cream scoop with a manual release) and a very lightly greased cookie sheet. Melt the butter in the pot over high heat; add the sugars, milk, cream and chopped pecans. Cook 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking and whisking 10 minutes. Add the pecan halves and continue whisking and cooking until done, about 8 to 10 minutes. (If the mixture smokes excessively toward end of cooking time, lower the heat.) Stir in vanilla. Then immediately drop about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into about one-sixth of the batter. Stir quickly and just enough to cover some of the chips with batter but not enough to allow the chips to melt. Quickly drop the chocolate mixture onto the cookie sheet by heaping spoonfuls, using the second spoon to push the batter off the first (or use ice cream scoop); each praline should be about 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining mixture, stirring briefly before adding more chocolate chips. The cooled pralines should be light brown, opaque, somewhat chunky and crumbly. LAGNIAPPE: To clean the pot and utensils, boil water in the pot with the utensils in it. This will melt the batter off. From Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitche