Cinco de Mayo Hubmob: Mexican Pralines for Dessert

Nothing completes a meal of delicious Mexican cuisine like a praline.  This recipe for Mexican Pralines has been a family favorite for 36 years (since 1974).  Traditional pralines are made with piloncillo, a hard, cone-shaped, unrefined sugar from Mexico.  Piloncillo is much harder than the brown sugar most North American cooks are used to, and must be chopped with a serrated knife before using.  Piloncillo has a richer, stronger taste than most brown sugars.  When a recipe calls for piloncillo, 1 cup of dark brown sugar and two teaspoons of molasses can be substituted.  This recipe uses brown sugar and corn syrup.

If you have left over pralines, they are excellent crushed and sprinkled on vanilla ice cream.  Or, if you enjoy making your own ice cream, you could add a cup of crushed pralines to the ice cream mixture just before pouring it into the freezer container.

Mexican Pralines

1 cup brown sugar                                          

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup                                    

1 tsp. almond extract

1 small can evaporated milk                           

½ lb. butter (2 sticks)

3 cups pecan halves                                        

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Boil sugar, syrup and milk to a soft ball stage (234 degrees F).  Add butter and flavorings.  Beat until creamy and thickening.  Add pecans, stir, then drop by spoons on waxed paper or buttered dish. Work fast, or candy will be too firm to drop. Chill to firm and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Cut plastic wrap (clear or green) into six inch squares.  Set the praline in the center, then gather up the corners.  Twist in the center over the top of the praline. Tie with gold or silver cord, if desired. Makes about 18.

For a Cinco de Mayo party, make small Mexican flag replicas from green, white, and red construction paper, use a hole punch in the top left corner of the paper flag, and use gold or silver cord to tie a flag to each praline. These can also be used as place holders by putting an individual’s name on the back of the flag.