Gayle's To Die For Pralines

½ pt whipping cream
1/3 stick butter
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. pecans

Into a saucepan put 2 cups of sugar, the whipping cream and butter. Into a small iron skillet put the remaining cup of sugar. Slowly melt the cup of sugar, being careful not to burn (dark amber color). At the same time heat up the other mixture slowly to boiling, stirring off and on. When the sugar has caramelized, slowly pour it into boiling mixture. Stir while it cooks to the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer (this does not take long). When it cools a bit add the vanilla and nuts, then beat until ready to drop by spoonfuls onto a marble slab or wax paper.

The mixture will still be quite warm when it is time to drop by spoonfuls. You have a window of time to get it out onto the wax paper before it gets too hard. You may not think it’s hard enough when you pour it out.

This really doesn’t take long to make. The cleanup is the worst, but I’ve found if you put water in the caramelizing skillet and put it on the stove for a while, along with the implements you’ve used, the hard sugar will dissolve and it won’t be such a pain.

-- Gayle spent time living in Cajun country so she knows what she's doing!