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Sugar Rush
Today my wife joins me again and we talk about candy making at home. Specifically we cover two recipes; pralines and salted caramel. We recommend that you pick up a candy thermometer if you really want to give these recipes (or any candy making at home) a try. This is a link to the candy thermometer we have, and it works great for us: CDN TCG400 Professional Candy & Deep Fry Thermometer
You should also make sure you use a heavy-bottomed pan (the heaviest you have) because the heat heat will be more even and you will be less likely to scorch your candy and you are heating it.
The best way I know how to describe a praline, if you’ve never had one, is that it’s like a cookie-shaped candy that has a creamy texture. They are one of my favorite confections, and they really are unlike most other candies that I know of. Here’s a picture of mine:
Here is the praline recipe I used: Emeril’s Creamy Pralines
Here is another page with some great info and recipes on pralines
Traci gave salted caramels a shot and had good results. This recipe is a bit more complicated than the praline recipe, as you are bringing the candy up to temperature, then adding cream, then bringing the candy back up to a different temperature. You definitely have to be on the ball when making this recipe.
Here is the recipe from Ina Garten that Traci used for this episode.
Happy candy making, and Happy Holidays!
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