Chef Tom smokes pecans on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill and shares a quick and easy candy making demo for these Smoked Pralines! A perfect gift or party treat for the holidays. Hello, smoky sweetness!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Smoke-toasted pecans: Toasting the nuts at 350°F with a smoldering pecan tube adds smoke flavor and a deeper nutty taste than raw pecans.
- Three-sugar caramel base: Brown, white, and maple-smoked turbinado sugars cooked with cream give a layered, caramel-and-maple sweetness.
- Soft-ball temperature target: Cooking to 235°F sets the candy so it firms into soft pralines without turning hard or grainy.
- Quick scoop-and-set finish: Spooning the mixture onto parchment while it's still warm lets each praline set into a mound as it cools.
Smoked Pralines
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
36
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
102
Indulge in the smoky sweetness of Chef Tom's Smoked Pralines! Learn how to craft the perfect praline with a quick and easy candy making demo.
Ingredients
- 3 cup pecan halves
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
-
1/2 cup Noble Saltworks Maple Turbinado Smoked Sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tbsp bourbon
-
Noble Saltworks Pecan Smoked Salt
Directions
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 350ºF, set up for indirect grilling. Fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker with pecan pellets. Place the tube smoker on the main cooking grate. Light the end with a torch. Let the fire burn for 1-2 minutes before blowing it out.
Place the pecan halves on a baking sheet. Transfer to the second shelf of the grill. Cook until just toasted and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Do not scorch or blacken the bottoms. Remove from the grill. Let the pecans cool slightly. Chop half of them into small pieces. Leave the other half in halves.
Combine the brown sugar, white sugar, Noble Saltworks Maple Turbinado Smoked Sugar and heavy cream in a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet. Whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until the temperature reaches 235ºF, whisking occasionally to cook evenly.
Stir in the bourbon and butter. As soon as the butter has melted, add all the pecans and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook one minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Quickly spoon out 2-3 tablespoons of the praline mixture at a time, mounding each scoop on a parchment lined sheet pan. Let the pralines firm up and come down to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why smoke and toast the pecans before making the candy?
Roasting them at 350°F with a smoldering pecan tube for about 15 minutes adds smoke flavor and deepens their nuttiness. Watch them closely, since scorched bottoms will taste bitter in the finished candy.
Why chop only half of the pecans and leave the rest as halves?
The chopped pieces spread nut flavor through every bite, while the whole halves give each praline visible, crunchy pieces on top.
Why cook the sugar and cream mixture to 235°F?
That is the soft-ball stage, which gives pralines their creamy, slightly chewy set. Stopping earlier would leave them runny, and going much higher would make them hard and brittle.
Why add the butter and bourbon after the sugar mixture reaches temperature?
Stirring them in off the high heat keeps the butter from separating and keeps the bourbon's flavor from cooking off during the long boil.
Why spoon out the pralines quickly?
The mixture begins to set as it cools in the skillet, so scooping 2-3 tablespoons at a time while it's still warm and spoonable gives smooth mounds instead of a stiff, clumpy mess.
Is there anything I should watch for when working with hot sugar?
The sugar mixture reaches 235°F and sticks to skin, so use a wooden spoon, keep children away from the stove, and let the finished pralines cool before touching them.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5. The candy cooks on a stovetop the same way, and the pecans can be toasted in an oven at 350°F, but you'd lose the smoke flavor.
Recipe Highlights
Smoke-toasted pecans: Add smoky depth to the nuts.
Three-sugar caramel: Layers brown, white, and maple-smoked sweetness.
Soft-ball stage cooking: Sets creamy, slightly chewy pralines.
Warm scoop-and-set: Makes smooth mounds on parchment.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 1.22 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 102
- Carbs
- 12 grams
- Protein
- 1 grams
- Fat
- 6 grams
- Sodium
- 12 milligrams
