Ronco may have popularized the expression “Set it and forget it”, but the term had to be coined after someone made these After-The-Dance Pralines.
I was taken by this recipe because a) I wanted to make pralines b) I don’t (yet) own a candy thermometer c) This recipe did not involve a candy thermometer d) I’m very taken with everything Southern these days e) It had a cool little blurb which I will of course share with you.
This beloved Louisiana confection got its name from the tradition of young women in New Orleans making them before going to a ball and then enjoying them with friends (and beaux) at their homes afterwards.
Get ready for this. The recipe calls for a grand total of three ingredients involving pretty much zero effort and then going to sleep while they bake. I can totally do that and in fact I did!
I woke up this morning and for breakfast, yes breakfast I enjoyed a very light and airy pecan-filled praline full of caramel goodness. Whether you pronounce it “Pray-leen” or “Prah-leen”, we can all agree these are ridiculously simple and delicious.
Enjoy y’all!
After-The-Dance Pralines (Southern Living – 1,001 Ways to Cook Southern)
Makes 20 pralines
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted
- Preheat over to 400F.
- Stir together brown sugar and beaten egg white, and fold in chopped pecans.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
- Turn off oven; place baking sheet in oven, and let pralines stand 8 hours in oven.
My attempt at imagining what the pralines would have looked like had there been a food blogger in the nineteenth century.
Tastes better with friends 
Three ingredients? That’s it!??!?! Holy cow. I can just imagine the airiness these impart to your daily routine. What a lovely breakfast for you 🙂
I was just looking at a recipe the other day thinking I should eventually make some of these. Incredibly easy w/ three ingredients!
When I was in Savannah back in June, I made sure to try their pray-leens in one of their famous candy shops. Good stuff.
Hmmm, I could go for some pray-leens and a glass of sweet tea in Savannah right about now!
Wow that’s a great recipe! I am intrigued. When we were in New Orleans in March, we attended a cooking demonstration where they made pray-leens but not like this. Must try!
What the!? I’ve never seen a recipe like this before! BOOKMARKED. So interesting and tasty looking…love it!
hahaha your last photo caption cracked me up!
I say Pray leen and PEE-CAN!
Love the last photo and imagining what a nineteenth century food blog would be like, hahah! I really have to try these–can’t beat how easy they are!
Holy moly, these look good! And so easy! The kids and I are totally making these tonight and you know we’ll be eating them for breakfast tomorrow. 🙂
Great, hope you and the kids enjoy them! And they go great with milk or tea….with breakfast of course:)
Love how there are so few ingredients 🙂 That’s cute how they used to prepare them before the ball for the post-ball reception. Wish I had one waiting for me for breakfast in the morning with a glass of milk…
I think the recurring comment is the simplicity of them. 3 ingredients and poof, praline magic!
It only takes an egg white, pecans and brown sugar and you can have them for breakfast too:)
These are so interesting to me, they look almost like cookies! I always think of pralines as just the pecans covered in sugary crusts, but these break that mold. They look delicious.
Wow just 3 ingredients! I like that…a lot! Your pralines look delicious!
I can’t begin to tell you how much I LOVE pralines. When I lived in Orlando, FL, I would drove up to Savannah often and HAD to stop at the Savannah Candy Kitchen for a box of pralines. They are seriously one of my favorite things in the world. I love that the recipe you used is so simple and it doesn’t require a candy thermometer. Your pralines look soooo good. 🙂
thank you! After making these, I need to head south to try the real thing lol
I’m in love with this recipe! Three ingredients and no thermometer needed (which I have but still can’t quite use for candies….don’t ask me why). These pralines would be great even as after-the-job pralines, after-the-movies pralines, after-anything pralines!
I just made praline filling for a cake last night! I absolutely love pralines (I used to live near Savannah where prah leens reign supreme! Yours looks delicious.. I don’t know if I could wait till after the dance to bite into these 🙂