New Orleans Style Maple Bacon Pralines Recipes

MAPLE PRALINE BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels.
• Spread the pecans onto an unlined baking sheet, and toast 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown and aromatic. Watch the nuts carefully as they bake, because they burn quickly. Set aside to cool.
• Stir the maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the hot candy resembles foamy caramel and a candy thermometer reads 270 degrees F (130 degrees C) (soft crack stage). Quickly stir in the pecans.
• Toss the bacon in the candy mixture to coat each strip, and remove with tongs to cool and harden on the prepared baking sheet. Last but not least... eat up!

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE PRALINES

Steps:

• Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Have 2 small spoons ready for scooping. Bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup and orange zest to a gentle simmer in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk or wooden spoon (do not let the cream mixture boil over). Simmer, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and light brown in color and a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F (soft-ball stage), 20 to 30 minutes (start by stirring occasionally, then switch to stirring constantly when the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan). Stir in the pecans and salt; the temperature will drop at least 5 degrees F to 10 degrees F.
• Continue to simmer, stirring, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan (the thermometer should register 246 degrees F to 247 degrees F). To test for doneness, drop a quarter-size amount onto a prepared baking sheet: The mixture should hold a rounded shape and look dull; if it runs out flat, continue cooking.
• Use the small spoons to spoon about quarter-size mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. Let sit until cool, set and dry, 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the pralines are still too soft to pick up after a few hours, let them sit in a cool, dry place, uncovered, for 1 or 2 days. Once dry, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

ORIGINAL PRALINE BACON RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place a wire rack on a sheet tray. Combine the Pecans and brown sugar. Lay the bacon side by side on the rack, place in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is sizzling and starting to brown around the edges. The object is for the bacon to cook about 3/4 of the way through before adding the topping.
• Mix the 3 remaining ingredients.
• Push the partially cooked bacon as close together as possible on the rack and brush with the cane syrup, this will give the topping something to grab on to. Cover generously with the Pecan/brown sugar topping. Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes more or until the topping is bubbly and the bacon is good and brown. Let cool.
• As the Praline Bacon cools it will set up and have a nice chewy bite to it.