Delicious candy popular in New Orleans. Pronounced 'PRAH-leens' or 'PRAW-leens', not 'PRAY-leens'. The recipe below is from my Great Grandmother, but has been modified to include accurate measurements beyond "about this much of.." and temperatures for candy themometers.
Ingredients
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
3/4 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter (margarine is *not* an appropriate subsistute)
1 cup pecans (I prefer halves, but chopped also works)
Instructions
Combine the sugar and milk and cook slowly in a heavy
pot over a low flame until it reaches the soft ball stage (this occurs at around 238 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla and pecans. Beat mixture with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and creamy. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper. If the candy does not harden in ten minutes, you may cook it some more
It makes approximately one dozen.