Christmas Recipes: Pralines

Title: 1986 Winner: Praline Cookies

    1/2 c  Butter
  1 1/2 c  Packed brown sugar
      1 ea Egg
  1 1/2 c  Flour
      1 ts Vanilla
      1 c  Chopped pecans
 
Preparation time: 25 minutes Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes
 
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and egg. Stir in flour, vanilla and pecans. Mix well by hand. Shape into balls about the size of walnuts, place on cookie sheets and flatten to about 1/8 inch.

2. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely and harden.

Winner Jean McGree of Flossmoor "bores everyone," she says, with this family tale of Christmas praline cookies: "Since the time Mom had been a little girl, each November Grandma would surround her back yard pecan tree with sheets to catch the falling nuts. But most of the nuts had to be knocked from the branches with her long-handled broom. Then she would spend hours stooped over those sheets, picking up the pecans and sorting the good ones from the black and hollow shells.
"When her daughter married and moved away, the nuts were carefully picked over, packaged and shipped 'up North.'  Free time in the first week of December was always marked for shelling the pecans. Sore hands and stiff backs were repaid with secret nibbling and promises of praline cookies for Christmas.

"Soon, I'll start looking for a package from Great-Grandma in South Carolina. Then, as we crack the pecans, I can retell the 'pecan story' to Michael and Ann, who know that Santa always looks for pralines on Christmas Eve."

from the Chicago Tribune annual Food Guide Holiday Cookie Contest December 4, 1986

Title: Chocolate Crunch Praline Tower Cake

    1/2 c  Margarine
      2 oz Unsweetened chocolate
           -squares
      1 c  Water
      1 c  Sugar
      1 c  Brown sugar, packed
    1/2 c  Chocolate syrup
    1/2 c  Coffee-flavored liqueur
  1 1/2 ts Vanilla
      3 ea Extra large eggs
      1 c  Quick oatmeal, uncooked
  1 1/2 c  Flour
      1 ts Baking soda
    1/2 ts Salt.
    1/2 c  Butter
    1/4 c  Whipping cream
      1 c  Brown sugar, packed
    3/4 c  Chopped pecans
     16 oz Can of fudge topping
      2 c  Whipping cream
    1/4 c  Powdered sugar plus 1 tbs
    1/2 ts Vanilla
      1 ea Chocolate bar for curls
 
Melt margarine with chocolate squares. Cool slightly.
 
Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and add water, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate syrup, coffee-flavored liqueur, vanilla, eggs, and oatmeal.
 
Beat well, then add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat well.

Pour into three greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans, bottoms lined with waxed paper. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
 
Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, bring to a boil the butter, whipping cream, brown sugar, and the pecans. Cook 2 to 3 minutes and pour evenly over cake, dividing equally among layers. Place layers under broiler for a couple of minutes until bubbly. Watch closely, as this may burn easily and quickly.

Cool cakes completely in refrigerator. Carefully remove cakes from pans. Warm a 16-oz. can of fudge topping just until spreadable and, dividing equally, spread over top of each cake.
 
Beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
 
Assemble layering cake and whipped cream into a tower of decadence, ending with whipped cream and garnishing with chocolate curls.

Title: Praline Apple Waffle Cookies

Cookies:
  1 1/4 c  Firmly packed brown sugar
    1/2 c  Butter, softened
      2    Eggs
      1 ts Vanilla
  1 1/2 c  All-Purpose Flour
      1 ts Baking powder
      1 ts Cinnamon
    1/2 ts Salt
    1/8 ts Nutmeg
    1/2 c  Shredded, peeled apples
    1/2 c  Finely chopped pecans
Topping:
    1/2 c  Powdered sugar
    1/4 ts Cinnamon

Heat waffle iron to medium-low.

Cookies:
In large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Stir in apples and pecans.

Spray waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto waffle iron. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until cookies are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from waffle iron; cool 1 minute on wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Topping:
In small bowl, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon; mix well. Using powdered sugar mixture, dip or dust both sides of slightly warm cookies. Serve warm or cool. Store in tightly covered container.

Title: Sweet Potatoes with Pralines

      5 ea large sweet potatoes
    1/2 c  butter, softened
    1/2 c  sugar
      2 ea eggs, beaten
      1 ts vanilla
    1/3 c  milk
    1/2 c  heavy cream
      1 c  light brown sugar
    1/3 c  melted butter
      1 c  chopped pecans
 
Preheat oven to 350F.

Peel and boil sweet potatoes in a covered saucepan until tender - about 20 min. Drain and mash. Mix in the softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk.

Pour into a baking dish or casserole.

Bring the cream to simmer in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage - 235F.

Remove from heat and beat in butter and pecans.

Pour over sweet potato mixture.

All of the above may be done up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Then just heat in the oven until bubbling hot and enjoy.

Title: Praline Cream Pumpkin Pie

           Pastry for unbaked
           -one-crust pie
FILLING:
    1/2 c  Sugar
  1 1/2 ts Pumpkin pie spice
    1/4 ts Salt
     16 oz Can (2 cups) pumpkin
     12 oz Can (1 1/2 cups)
           -evaporated milk
      2    Eggs, slightly beaten

PRALINE LAYER:
    1/4 c  Firmly packed brown sugar
      2 tb All-purpose flour
    1/4 c  Margarine or butter
    1/2 c  Chopped pecans

TOPPING:
      3 oz Pkg cream cheese, softened
      2 ts Milk
      1 ts Grated orange peel
  3 1/2 cups whipped cream
 
Prepare pastry for unbaked one-crust pie using 9-inch pie pan. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Filling:
In large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, pumpkins, evaporated milk, and eggs until well blended. Pour into pastry-lined pan and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
 
Pecan Layer:
Meanwhile, in small bowl combine brown sugar and flour. Using pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over pumpkin filling.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely.
 
Topping:
  In small bowl, combine cream cheese, milk and orange peel; mix until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Spoon over cooled pie. Refrigerate until serving time. Store in refrigerator.

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