Praline Brownies are rich and fudgy and filled with buttery sweet pralines. Nothing says the South like pralines! Great for tailgates or parties, a little bite packs a lot of flavor.
I thought we needed something sweet in our lives and what could be better than some fudgy brownies with pralines inside. What a wonderful combination. These were magical, but I was afraid maybe it was because I haven’t been eating sweets lately. You know how when you’re starving anything tastes great. Not to worry, it has been confirmed by all, that adding pralines to brownies was a brilliant idea. I’m not taking credit for it, the recipe was shared by Food & Wine this month from a chef in New Orleans.
If you’re not from the South, you might not be that familiar with pralines. I think they originated in New Orleans, but they are pretty popular almost any place south of the Mason-Dixon line. They are similar to fudge, made with brown sugar, butter, cream and of course pecans.
The recipe makes a huge pan of really large brownies, enough to share with lots of friends. I took some to Natalie for Parent’s weekend and gave some to my favorite Tex and Shirley friend. Taylor has eaten her fair share and I still have a large tupperware container full in the freezer. The brownie is nice and fudgy by itself but then you bite into one of the soft praline bits, yum. They are pretty rich so cut these into smaller portions then you might otherwise.
This is not a simple recipe that you can throw together in 5 minutes, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult. You basically have to make two desserts. However, it makes a very large batch and It’s well worth it if you have a little extra time. You will start by making the pralines because they have to cool before you can add them to the brownie batter. You can easily do this step a day or two ahead of time. Once the pralines are cool then you make a batch of brownies and fold the praline bits into your brownies and bake. These freeze really well.
Food & Wine Oct 2016 Kelly Fields of the bakery and restaurant Willa Jean
Praline Brownies
Ingredients
Pralines
- 1 ½ cups pecans toasted
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
Brownies
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup butter
- 7 ounces dark chocolate 70% chopped
- 6 eggs
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pralines
- In a medium saucepan add both sugars, butter, cream and salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture registers 230º, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the toasted pecans and salt. Continue to cook until it reaches 240º, about 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let it cool until it reaches 210º. Stir with a wooden spoon until it stiffens and is cloudy. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Let cool completely until it is firm. Once cool chop into pieces.
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350º and line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sifted cocoa powder, and sugar.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter and chopped chocolate. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs with brown sugar and salt until well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture in four additions, scraping down the sides and bottoms of the bowl. With the mixer running on low, drizzle in the chocolate mixture and beat until just combined. Fold in the praline mixture.
- Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes until toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- For nice even squares, refrigerate before cutting.
Nutrition
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