Se7en and I planned to have a small dinner party Friday evening. He had offered to make authentic New Orleans style red beans and rice, (aren’t I a lucky gal?!) for our guests, which included my friends Linny and Last Girl/Last Guy on Earth. We talked about the rest of the menu and I suggested that I make dessert. My idea was homemade pralines that would be served with Haagen-Dazs finest. My Mom’s best friend is from New Orleans and she had given me her recipe a while back. We went on a massive shopping trip and got all the ingredients we needed. I decided to make the pralines the evening before as Se7en was gonna be busy in the kitchen on party night. I looked at the recipe and something seemed to be missing, (one cup of pecans.) So I called my Mom’s friend and after a lengthy chat, (we are two Southern ladies after all,) I got the updated recipe. Or so I thought…
I put all the ingredients in the pot and waited for it to boil. You know what they say about that but there you go. Anyway, I let it boil for five minutes, added vanilla, stirred it all up, and got ready to spoon the yummy, (my kitchen smelled SO GOOD,) mixture onto waxed paper. You spoon it into bite size pieces and then they subsequently firm up into pralines. So, I did my thing and left them to dry. Guess what? THEY DIDN’T. Shit! I called Se7en over.
Me – “Honey, do these look done to you?”
Se7 – “They are supposed to be firm, how long have they been been there?”
Me – “About 20 minutes.”
Se7 – “I think they should be ready by now. Let me taste them.”
Se7 spoons a gooey mouthful in his mouth and eats it.
Se7 – “Well Baby, they taste good but I don’t think you boiled them long enough.”
I give him a dirty look, go off and pout on the sofa. I’m not mad at him but I’m mad that I screwed up the recipe. Se7 is merely the messenger. My Mom and her best friend could probably make them BLINDFOLDED, and I followed the directions and f*cked them up. Harumph.
I have a brainstorm.
Me – “Se7, would you call your Mom and ask her what I did wrong?”
Se7 – “Why MY Mom? Why don’t you call YOUR Mom or her best friend?”
Me – “Because my Mom is in the middle of something and I don’t want to disturb her. And I’m too embarassed to call her friend back. Besides, your Mom is from New Orleans, she will know what to do.”
Se7 sighs. “OK, I will call her but let me look online first.”
He finds a similar recipe and I write down the info. He then calls his Mom and she knows EXACTLY what to do. Essentially I wasn’t given all the recipe instructions. You have to mix the sugars and milk together first, bring them to a boil, THEN add the other ingredients. That explains it! I try it again. I ask Se7 to stand by to help. He rolls his eyes at me, but does so. Of course he then stands over me the whole time to make sure I do it per his Mom’s instructions. Success! The pralines turn out great! I thank him profusely and give him a big hug. He then proceeds to start eating them, and I have to get him to stop so we will have A FEW LEFT for the party!
As I’m washing essentially every pot and pan in my kitchen, Se7 is messing with the first batch of pralines. He had the idea to mix them all together, then heat them up the next night and use them as a praline sauce for the ice cream. Great minds, that had occurred to me as well. He combines them all on a plate and leaves them out overnight. We finally go to sleep in a sugar induced coma. The next morning we wake up, and the pralines are actually KINDA firm and definitely good enough to eat! Which of course we HAVE to do! All in the name of sampling of course… You just can’t win sometimes, you know? Now we have two batches of yummy pralines, (but I’m only serving the pristine second batch!)
At least I learned how NOT to make New Orleans style pralines…
It sounds like you and Se7en are having a blast together and I’m so happy for you. I’ll assume that my invitation got lost in the mail (just kidding). I hope that your dinner party was a smashing success.
Mmmmmm… I LOVE pralines! One of my favorite ice cream flavors is pralines and cream! I’ve never attempted to make them, though. Saw Emeril do it once on tv, but that’s Emeril, haha.. not me.
Glad you and se7en had so much fun bonding in the kitchen!
I’ve never tried making candy. I’m chicken.
Yeah, I’ll play with lye for hours on end but don’t want to handle hot sugars. Go figure.
I made peanut brittle once as a kid. That candy thermometer stuff is pretty scary. But it came out allright. Then twenty years later, I tried making fudge. Softball my…. well let’s just say it was crispy fudge. No, it wasn’t good.
and EVERYTHING from the food to the company was INCREDIBLE! Thanks again for a wonderful evening!
HUMMMMMM praliness!!!! You guys didn’t spare any, did you?
Just reading your post is forcing me into diabetic shock and I’m not even a diabetic or normal for that matter. Glad y’all had fun. Hot Dayummmmmmmmn!
Lisa you’re so sensitive. Such a chick!
I love pralines. RBnR. yum.
Jazzfest. Last weekend of April. I’m pretty sure we’re going.
Pecans, good. Pecans plus sugar, better.
I’m not even sure what pralines are…lol
Generally if recipes have more than 5 steps or 10 ingredients, I just say no.
They were… and STILL are good! We are savoring the goody bag. Thanks for a great night. xo
You sound much more successful in the kitchen then I ever could be…but then I consider making toast a form of baking.
That’s better’n I’d do… I’m definitely not the greatest cook ever LOL. Glad it all turned out okay though!
You are having so much fun. I’m jealous!
Leave – Thanks my friend! And the dinner party was a lot of fun. Yummy red beans and rice too!
Laurie – LOL @ Emeril. And it’s lots of fun
Serra – I will make a deal with you. You teach me to make candles and I will teach you how to make pralines
Uisce – I had the same experience with fudge as a kid. And I don’t own a candy thermometer so it makes it a bit tricky…
Linny – Our pleasure, thanks for coming!
Mo – All gone sorry! But I will give you the recipe if you want…
Marty – Thanks Hon lol.
Wade – Maybe I will see you guys there
Pralines ROCK!
Golfwidow – Yes indeed. YUM!
Dawn – Come on over and I’ll give you your first praline!
LMAO @ the 5 steps/10 ingredients
Last Girl – Thanks for coming, as always a blast hanging out with you guys!
Mike – Toast is baking right? That’s what I was always told anyhoo
Restless Angel – LOL! And thanks Hon.
Schnood – Yup, we are having a wonderful time
hugs sweetie! The entire dinner went off very well, I thought anyway. The pralines and ice cream were your idea Lisa and a very good one too! weeee!!!
hehe
Pralines? Never heard of ‘em.
Last time I tried to make the praaaahhhlines, I boiled too long and they were really grainy and sugary. NOT good. I just might have to ask you for your recipe, Lisa! I’m going to start getting ready for my Mardi Gras festivities (I really MISS the south this time of year!)
You gotta hold a benefit concert to get the D-Man and D-Family over for a dinner party.
Se7en – Hugs back Babe! The dinner was a huge success and everyone INHALED your fabulous cajun food. YUMMMY! MWAH!
Armaedes – Yea, right
Nat – YOU are from the South??? Cool beans. And if you want the recipe, let me know!
D-Man – I’ll get right on that!
No, I lived on the gulf coast for 9 years, though, and even attended a Sugar Bowl game on New Year’s day 1998.
We moved north in 2000, and since 2001 I’ve hosted a Mardi Gras party for all my Yankee neighbors. They STILL don’t understand the concept! (but they like the food …and I order Zapp’s Chips, Moon Pies, King Cake and prepare muffalettas and hurricanes…it’s a hoot!)
I’d LOVE your praline recipe. mail it to my excite account… nataliet757 at excite.com. Thanks!!
[...] was cooking way too much! To top it off Lisa cooked up a batch of New Orleans style pecan pralines (see story) and served them up with vanilla ice cream, [...]