Recipe: Rustic Peanut Butter Pralines

RUSTIC PEANUT BUTTER PRALINES

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces, toasted

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine all the ingredients, except the pecans. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Continue stirring until the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pan, for about 12 minutes.

Add the pecans and continue stirring until the mixture thickens for about 8 minutes, and it reaches the soft ball stage (when a small amount of the mixture is dropped into a cup of cold water is forms a soft ball).

Remove from the heat and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool, then lift the pralines off the paper with a thin knife.

Makes 18 servings