Chef Remy
Bananas Foster Cheesecake
New Orleans' most famous dessert transformed into a showstopping cheesecake, with layers of buttery caramelized bananas, dark rum caramel, and a silky filling so rich it could make Brennan's jealous.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
New Orleans Creole Pralines
Created by Chef Remy
Creamy pecan candies born in the French Quarter, where brown sugar and butter come together in a confection so rich and tender it dissolves on your tongue, leaving nothing but sweetness and the memory of toasted pecans.
Desserts
Creole
Holiday
Make Ahead
15 min
Active Time
25 min cook•40 min total
YieldAbout 24 pralines
Pralines are New Orleans in candy form. The French brought the technique from their homeland, the Creoles made it their own with local pecans, and the praline vendors of the French Quarter turned it into an art form. I can still hear them calling from the corners of Jackson Square when I was a boy visiting the city with my grandmother Evangeline.
The secret to a proper praline is patience and attention. You are making candy, and candy demands respect. The sugar must reach the right temperature, then the mixture must be beaten at precisely the right moment. Beat too soon and the pralines will not set. Beat too long and you will have a pot of crystallized sugar that refuses to drop. But hit that window, that perfect moment when the mixture loses its shine and turns creamy, and you will understand why praline vendors have been making their living on these streets for two hundred years.
At Lagniappe, we send every guest home with a praline wrapped in wax paper. It is our way of saying thank you, the little something extra that the word lagniappe means. My grandmother used to say that the best gifts are the ones you make with your own hands. A praline is exactly that: butter, sugar, cream, and pecans transformed by fire and time into something that tastes like love.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
granulated sugar
Quantity
1 1/2 cups (300g)
light brown sugar
Quantity
1 1/2 cups (330g)
packed
heavy cream
Quantity
1 cup (240ml)
unsalted butter
Quantity
6 tablespoons (85g)
cut into pieces
pecan halves
Quantity
2 cups (200g)
lightly toasted
pure vanilla extract
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/8 teaspoon
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| granulated sugar | 1 1/2 cups (300g) |
| light brown sugarpacked | 1 1/2 cups (330g) |
| heavy cream | 1 cup (240ml) |
| unsalted buttercut into pieces | 6 tablespoons (85g) |
| pecan halveslightly toasted | 2 cups (200g) |
| pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/8 teaspoon |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan
- •Candy thermometer
- •Wooden spoon
- •Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- •Two rimmed baking sheets
Instructions
- 1
Prepare your workspace
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Have your toasted pecans, vanilla, and salt measured and ready beside the stove. Once the candy reaches temperature, you have about two minutes before it sets. There is no time to hunt for ingredients. Everything must be within arm's reach.
Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. This step transforms the pralines from good to unforgettable. - 2
Combine sugars and cream
Add both sugars and the heavy cream to a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. A heavy pot distributes heat evenly and prevents hot spots that burn sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugars dissolve and the mixture is smooth. Set over medium heat.
- 3
Cook to soft ball stage
Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, making sure the tip does not touch the bottom. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 236 to 238 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the soft ball stage. The mixture will bubble vigorously and deepen to the color of caramel. The whole process takes 15 to 20 minutes. Do not walk away.
If you do not have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the hot syrup into cold water. At soft ball stage, you can form it into a soft, pliable ball that flattens when removed from the water. - 4
Add butter and remove from heat
The moment the thermometer hits 236 degrees, remove the pot from the heat. Add the butter pieces all at once. The mixture will bubble and foam dramatically. This is normal. Let the butter melt into the hot candy without stirring for about 30 seconds.
- 5
Beat until creamy
Add the vanilla, salt, and toasted pecans. Now stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring. The mixture will go from glossy and thin to matte and thick. You will feel it start to resist the spoon. This takes 2 to 3 minutes of steady stirring. When the candy begins to lose its shine and thicken like cake frosting, it is ready to drop.
The transformation happens quickly. Watch for the moment the glossy sheen turns cloudy and opaque. That is your signal to start spooning immediately. - 6
Drop the pralines
Working quickly, drop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. The candy should spread into rough circles about 3 inches across. If the mixture hardens in the pot before you finish, add a tablespoon of hot water and stir to loosen it.
- 7
Cool completely
Let the pralines sit undisturbed at room temperature until completely set, about 20 to 30 minutes. They should lift cleanly from the parchment. The texture should be creamy and slightly crumbly, never hard or sticky. A proper praline melts on your tongue with a rush of butter, brown sugar, and toasted pecan.
Chef Tips
- •Louisiana pecans are worth seeking out. They have a richer, more buttery flavor than varieties from other regions. At Lagniappe, we source ours from a family farm in Colfax.
- •Humidity is the enemy of candy making. If the weather is damp, your pralines may never set properly. Pick a dry day or run your air conditioning.
- •A heavy pot is non-negotiable. Thin pans have hot spots that scorch sugar before you can react. My grandmother's cast iron Dutch oven made the best pralines I have ever eaten.
- •If your pralines turn out too hard, the mixture cooked past soft ball stage. If they will not set at all, you did not cook it long enough or beat it enough after removing from heat. Take notes and adjust next time.
Advance Preparation
- •Pralines keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Layer them between sheets of wax paper.
- •For gift giving, wrap individual pralines in wax paper, twist the ends, and pack in decorative tins or boxes.
- •Do not refrigerate pralines. The humidity will make them sticky and weepy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 44g)
Calories
220 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
7 g
Cholesterol
21 mg
Sodium
12 mg
Total Carbohydrates
27 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
26 g
Protein
1 g
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