BUTTERMILK PRALINES
It wouldn’t be Christmas at the Pressley house without these rich pralines. They are perfect for the holiday season.
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup of butter
- 2 cups pecan halves or pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine sugar, soda, salt, and buttermilk in a large saucepan and cook over high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling and stirring until mixture begins to thicken and becomes slightly creamy (210 degrees on a candy thermometer). Add butter and pecans and continue boiling over medium high heat until the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove pan from heat and add vanilla. Allow mixture to cool about 2 minutes. Beat mixture until it begins to lose its gloss and is thick and creamy. Quickly, drop by spoonfuls in 2-inch rounds on waxed paper or foil to cool. If mixture becomes too hard, immerse the pan in hot water for several minutes and resume dropping candy. The hardest part of the recipe is knowing when to start dropping pralines onto the paper. I’ve dropped too soon and ended up scraping it all up to cook a little more. The best advice I can offer, other than trial and error, is to pay close attention to the mixture. Honestly the pralines are so good even if I had to scrape the mixture back into the pan and cook a little longer every time I made them it would be worthwhile. The pralines are creamy melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
TP
—Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley
We made the trip to Haywood County over the weekend for Christmas with the Pressleys. I made sure to take a double batch of pralines and as always they were well received. I’ve become so connected to the pralines that sometimes that’s how I’m introduced to people who are attending for the first time.
The Pressley elders are dwindling. Uncle Mike died this past year when my Uncle Henry died. The ones that are left are not near as spry as they used to be. That knowledge makes me enjoy the annual event even more and cherish each story that gets told even if I’ve heard it in years past. This year’s event was wonderful as usual.
Last night’s video: Decorating the Tree.
Tipper
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So enjoyed singing along with Paul last night, made it seem more like Christmas is near. Can’t wait to try the Praline recipe. I remember standing outside the candy shop window in New Orleans, and watching them spoon out the praline candy to cool!
Tipper I that was a nice treat listening to Paul on the live last night.
Randy sending up prayers for comfort for you, getting older sure takes its toll on us.
I believe I will try this recipe. But I have a question…. if I don’t have buttermilk, can I substitute that…use that trick of using regular milk and vinegar or something like that …..to make sour milk?
Deb, I’m not sure I’ve never tried that. Hopefully someone who knows will chime in 🙂
8:00 PM snow report. It is snowing lightly but it just turned to snow and the temperature is right at freezing. It’s starting to get slick. Sarah, on her home from work, hit a slick spot and slid into a trailer hitch on a truck. There wasn’t any damage to her car but she’s lucky. There is going to be a bunch of fender benders tonight, mark my word.
Wishing you all blessings of comfort & joy !
Am a praline fan; have made them over the years for Christmas. However, have never made them with buttermilk. A small difference is I also use brown sugar in making them along with white sugar. I agree, the most difficult part of the process is timing when to drop them. I tend to overcook mine a bit as I like them a bit grainy rather than the beautiful smooth pralines in your pic, Tipper. As you noted, they always seem to be a favorite with family ……
About half of my growing up years were in southern Louisiana near New Orleans. Pralines are a huge thing there and my Mom learned to make them. She made them and black walnut divinity every year at Christmas time. You MUST make them on a day it’s not humid unless you keep your house very dry or they won’t set up well, at least that’s been my experience.
I said “pray-leens” in New Orleans. I was corrected, they are “prah-leens”. However you say it, these are yummy candies. Here in Ohio we have Praline Pecan ice cream and I love that, too.
These looks delicious. I still remember dad always getting pralines in the mall every time we went. I just might have a go at making these!!
I do wonder though, why no post on Pulled cream candy? Oh how I long to taste that goodness again. I grew up in Greenup County KY and we always had potato candy, pulled cream candy, pralines, pumpkin rolls, bourbon filled chocolate cherries and much more around the holidays.
I”m sorry about your Uncle Mike’s passing. I saw his obit in the newspaper and wondered if he was related to you.
Glad you make the trek over to Haywood County.
Hi Chelsea, Kentucky girl here, my family has made Cream Candy for nearly 50 years. Pure cream and sugar, cooked until soft ball stage then poured on a cold buttered slab out on the porch; stretched and pulled until creamy. My two oldest grand daughters always called it “outside candy” since we start the pulling process while outside.
We used to sell our candy starting with Mt. Sterling Court Days, and was only six dollars a pound back then, lol now I see a local girl sells hers for 13 dollars a pound. Selling our candy was how we made our Christmas money every year. We also made fudge, peanut brittle and hard tack or what folks call glass candy, cinnamon was the biggest seller. We don’t sell our candy these days but still make it for family each year.
I have no idea how I never had a praline until a trip to Charleston, SC as an adult. What a delicious confection! I purchased a cookbook in Charleston and set out to learn how to make these wonders. You are correct that it takes some practice and knowing when they are ready to drop on the parchment. My first batches did not turn out quite as I hoped. I noticed your recipe when I purchased your cookbook and planned to make your recipe as your instructions are so clear and seem much easier to follow. Your post this morning has inspired me to try a batch this week. As a side note, I also call them pray-leens. I have a friend to calls them prah-leens. I tell her she says prah-leens because she can’t help she didn’t grow up in the south or around here, and doesn’t know any better. But whatever you call them, they are special. Sure am enjoying the snow here in NC today.
Tipper, thank you for the praline recipe. I can’t wait to try it. And thank you also for your wonderful blogs. I really enjoy them and enjoy reading the responses from your wonderful followers.
I want to add this and I will try to shut up, it has nothing to do with Christmas candy or food, but about Christmas gifts or gifts at other times of the year. I expect this is true for many of us older members, the most appreciated, precious, valuable gift at any time of the year my family or friends can give me is simply spending TIME with me. It does not have to be doing big things together, just something as simple as riding/going to a store with me, just being with you. I am constantly preaching this to my son and grandsons.
Randy-Amen
The snow last night didn’t amount to much but they are calling for more this afternoon. I don’t expect that to lay much either.
I enjoyed seeing how your tree is decorated, Tipper, and how each ornament has a story behind it. I was thinking the other day how sad it is that people now see ornaments as just something to stick on the tree; ornaments so seldom have any meaning to them anymore. When we decorate the tree at my parents’ house and at our own, our ornaments all have stories behind them, either because of who made them or who gave them to us, and I love every year how we tell the stories of those people again when we take them out. My grandson is old enough now to start hearing the stories, and it was such a joy to share the stories with him as we decorated our tree. Hope you’re enjoying the snow!
I’m going to make those pralines.
It was fun to watch y’all trim the tree. I don’t know who will have more fun you grownups or the baby boys! Enjoy!
Blessings all around to you and your family!
Tipper – your comment of ‘dwindling family’ makes me think of a saying: ‘we never miss what we have until it is gone.’ I know mine has dwindled down to just my youngest sister & myself and our own family. We are the ‘older’ generation now, along with just a few cousins left – grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and siblings all gone. I can almost taste your pralines they look soooo gooood! Loved the tree and eggnog time last evening.
Listen to Christmas Makes Me Cry by Kacey Musgraves. Each line hits home to me. I bet those pralines are divine!
It must have been at least ten years ago when you first posted your praline recipe on here, and I was brave enough to try it without using a candy thermometer. Maybe it was beginner’s luck, but they turned out perfect. It’s been way too long since I made that batch of the yummiest candy I have ever made. I hope I can wait until after my annual physical in a few days to make them, or I might falsely be labeled a diabetic after I eat them all.
Recipe sounds great, I look forward to the video.
As always praying for Granny.
I watched your tree decorating video. It looked like a lot of fun. What you make as eggnog is what we call boiled custard here in my part of Appalachia. Prayers and Blessings to you all.
I’ve never made them, but need to give them a try. They look delicious!
Those look so good! We will want to try them! We are going to make Christmas cards today, the kids are getting so excited for Christmas ❤️
Well, all you all today have led me to realize – the elders of our families always knew how precious those get together times were. And they knew we did not – yet. But they did not want us to know and were not offended we did not. They knew that time would come. And now for many here it is our turn. Love them and let them enjoy the not-knowing. It was another gift they gave us we were not going to appreciate for many years. I recall something the Lord said to Peter, “What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter.”
I am so glad you had the Pressley Christmas this past weekend. Your pralines look delicious, and I always enjoy your video about making them. We have lost so many in our family, but we still try to continue on with our traditions. You will always be known in the Pressley family for your pralines, and I believe your homemade rolls are the hit in the Wilson family. Have a blessed day everyone!
It’s great to have family food traditions. Gives you another thing to look forward to on special occasions. The first praline I ever had was in New Orleans years ago. Now anytime I think of pralines (or eat one) I’m reminded of that trip. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
So true about getting old and seeing your family get smaller and smaller. Pralines are wonderful. I first had them while on active duty outside Savannah. They are wonderful. The holidays really brings back special memories of my mother and father. Since my heritage goes back to Canada my father would always make pork pies and we would have it with pickled beets. The tradition has passed down and now my wife Diane makes me a pork pie almost like my dad’s. Dad went home to the Lord at the age of 94. My lasting memory of him was at the age of 92 he asked me to go body surfing with him one last time. We did and I’ll never forget the smile on his face as we rode those waves at New Smyrna Beach Florida. Now my beautiful mother made us meals that she had during the Depression. Liver, onions, graveyard and mashed potatoes were a staple growing up in the 50’s. But my favorite will always be canned tomatoes heated on the stove until its boiling and then she would scramble several eggs in the tomatoes. Once this is done pour this mixture over toast. I still eat this today. My sisters hated this meal but still ate it. My mother was a fighter and protected her children 100%. One day ads my brother got into a fight outside our house with one of the neighbor boys several others jumped in and started beating on him. My mother saw this and immediately took things in hand. She broke up the fight by pulling the boys apart. The holidays always brings back wonderful and sometimes sad memories but that is life. The best gift my parents gave me was the gift of being raised in a Christian home where we went to church every Sunday without fail as a family and the values they instilled in us are there today. And that is why I love watching your videos because they remind me of what home was to me. Bless you all.
Your pralines look so delicious and your Christmas tree looked so beautiful last night. I loved looking through your ornaments with you.
Randy-Please don’t apologize for sharing your feelings. Prayers are something we can all do for you and anyone else who asks or needs them. Even though I don’t always say so, I always pray for those who ask, and I am sure lots of other folks do the same. Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday. We are having a beautiful snowfall this morning. It looks magical outside my window!
As a kid I never thought much about the older folks dying off even though there were funerals quite often at the two churches in our community. Now that my wife and I are the oldest in our families, I am reminded often of the many times I’ve been to funerals for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles as well as for brothers and sisters. One day the younger ones will be celebrating my life. I told some of them recently not to get ready for it just yet because I plan to live to a hundred.
Jackie, I use to joke, laugh and say my desire in life was to live to a be a hundred and have a jealous husband kill me! I also liked to joke and say if I ever ran around on my wife, it would be with a woman that had been married for a few years- most husbands won’t get mad until you bring her back. It’s the jealous boyfriends you have to watch. Now after loosing my wife of almost 50 years – 47 years marriage and 2 1/2 years of “going together,” this is no longer funny. In all of those years, I never ran around or wanted anyone else, this is as true today as it was when she was living. I will confess to looking at the menu every now and then but didn’t see anything on it worth loosing her or my family. I am feeling some better now than earlier this morning. Depression over not being able to do for myself like I once could and the grief of loosing so many family members and others in the last years gets to me.
I made your pralines last year for the first time, and they were a huge success! This year I’m going to make a bigger batch to share:)
That candy looks so good. I need to cat h up on my videos. I will watch today after my to do list is done. Randy’s note choked me up. I could see him in the car while his son lighted the candles. Heartbreaking! Love you all
I love pecan pralines and those look delicious.
I love making gifts for those special in my life. This year it will be Soup in a Jar, homemade bread, Key Lime Fudge, Sorghum Cookies and Momma’s No Bake Fruitcake and/or my mother-in-law’s Fruit Cookies. For my nephews family I will be adding my Minnesota Rice Soup. My plans are to fix him and his family supper this week. He is like a second son to us. The rest are caregivers for our special needs daughter and the house manager. Ryan my nephew owns the shop where my husband started a business years ago. It is a tractor trailer shop. This past week, he was able to lead an employee to Christ. Please pray for him and our son that God would use them to lead others there that are lost. I pray for all of your readers and your family that God would grant health, peace and salvation for those that don’t have it this coming Christmas and the New Year.
Drama-wonderful news that Ryan led someone to Christ. Keep building the kingdom.
Ma’am I hope this is of value to you. I had a preacher friend who said he just about hated the place he worked because it was so ungodly. He was vexed day by day. One morning while he sat in his car before worktime, dreading to go back into it again, he asked the Lord why he had to be there. His answer was, “I didn’t put you here for you. I put you here for them.” He endured and four (I think) of his co-workers were converted in the coming months. It is often hard to remember what not being our own can mean. Blessings on your son and nephew and the shop and all who work there. Amen.
Those pralines sound delicious, Tipper. I haven’t made candy at Christmas in a few years because there’s not enough people around anymore to enjoy it and so many of us are cutting back on sugar. I’ve never made “real” pralines. I had a “cheat” recipe that used a box of brown sugar (from back when it only came in boxes and not bags). It was easy and tasted good but not quite like the real thing. My daddy was the candy maker when I was growing up. He made fudge with the recipe that used marshmallow cream. He’d let my letter sister and me scrape the cooking pot and eat the leftover bits after he poured it in the square cake pan. He’d set it outside, covered in foil, on top of the root cellar to get it to set up quicker in the cold winter night.
Funny you shared this today. I just looked up your recipe last night so I could make sure I have everything on hand. I’m making them to share with neighbors this week and again for our Sunday school class party next weekend. Can’t wait to try them and share!
The pralines sound yummy. Christmas traditions are a beautiful thing.
I’m happy y’all could get together and have a good time. The get togethers become more precious as time marches on and we get older. With each passing we realize how tender and precious each moment is.
I want to make those pralines, but I must say I’m a little intimidated. I’ve been making stuff all weekend for our gathering and the pralines would be loved like this orange bread. Are they something that need to be eaten right away or can they be stored for a couple of days? I won’t have enough time to make them the day of.
God bless y’all!
Debbie, I made them last Thursday and the event was Saturday 🙂 After they cool completely I put them in an airtight container. Hope you enjoy!
I always enjoy pralines when we can get them and never thought I could make them. I’ll have to try this! Praying for the Pressley’s as you say so many goodbyes to the elders and step into that role in their steads.
buttermilk pralines sounds good, my brother is considering immunotherapy for the cancer, he fetched the 5 to 7% that can do it, but it has some horrible side effects, the medication is tagrisso , God bless you thank you for praying for him and please continue to do so, God bless Granny Wilson in Jesus name
Those look really good too. You make it look so easy. Maybe I’ll get your video going and all the ingredients layed out and just follow along. You could do a live video sometime with us and help us to it exactly like you.
One day we will be the old ones in the family and the youngins can’t sit and listen to our stories on repeat.
Laura, I’ll be sharing another video on making them this week 🙂
TY for the recipe Tipper. I just watched the Christmas tree decorating and Eggnog making video. I also watch the Pressley Girls video where Corie made Cider. Bless her she had such a time those 2 days. Y’all had me crying at both videos,. Such a caring family. I keep y’all in my prayers. GOD was so good to have Granny at your Thanksgiving meal. I know how much it meant for all of you. I have got to try and remember to tune in on youtube tonite at 6pm for the live with y’all. I love y’all.
I can’t wait to try your Praline recipe this year. I have enjoyed so many of your recipes and they are always a winner! Christmas wishes to your family.
Miss Tipper : instead of “ All mixture” maybe you meant it to read ‘Allow mixture to cool’
; )
KW, thank you! I fixed it 🙂
Life moves on with or without us…thanks for sharing, looking forward to seeing Matt eat orange bread….seeing you laugh so hard in last nights video was a true delight, so glad you are so very happy and blessed in all that you do.
Both my wife and me were raised in families that struggled to have just basic food throughout the year and to have a few gifts at Christmas. I am saying that to say this, we did not have a lot these special foods that are mostly made around Christmas. This carried on over into our adult lives. My wife’s specialty was making sausage balls, her’s were the best I have ever ate, her secret was using fresh homemade sausage (none of these grocery store brands) and I tease and say sticking her finger in them. I know exactly how she made them, I do make some each year but they ain’t the same as hers.
Tipper your last paragraph is only the beginning, I would give anything to turn back the clock to when I was around fifty years old. Many family members in both mine and my wife’s family were still living and we were still having large family get togethers throughput the year, even though arthritis was beginning to to cause problems for me, I was still able to do pretty much anything I wanted to do without asking for help. Last night this was brought home to me. The cemetery my wife and daughter and some other family members are buried had a candlelight service. Without my son going and taking me I wouldn’t have been able to go, I can no longer see to drive at night because of the other car headlights, (especially the newer cars) and was unable to walk the distance I would have to walk to their graves because of not being able to park closer their graves and the cold damp weather. I sit in the car and watched him and my grandson light the candles on their graves.
I guess I am feeling sorry for myself this morning, I feel about knee high to a snake’s belly this morning and wish I could lay in bed, the darkness and quietness all day. I am sorry for writing this today, I apologize to you and the other members.
Randy, I’m sorry. I will keep praying for your comfort.
Mr. Randy, I will pry for you. At this time of year, sometimes it’s even harder to keep our spirits up.
Praying Gods comfort and peace with you today, Randy. May you feel His presence in every moment and know you are not alone. Much love to you ❤️
Randy, we are to bear one another’s burdens. We will be lifting you in prayer! There are many here on the blog that look forward to hearing from you each day. May the Lord bless you and keep you and may His face shine upon you and give you peace!