Making Candy Is a Ball

Candy making at home has all but disappeared, along with butter churning and preserving. In the 19th century, most American cooks made candy as easily as soup, and as often, if they could afford the sugar. These days most home cooks are afraid of the process.

But candies can be easier to make than cookies. If I could get everyone to try stirring up a creamy batch of these pecan pralines, for instance, I know there would be a substantial increase of dedicated candy makers.

A nicely balanced supper, giving your pralines the proper attention, would be a light, highly flavored soup first, like Chinese Winter Soup with warm French rolls, and a dessert of sliced sugared bananas with a little cream on top and a plate of these special pecan pralines. They store well in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers of candy, and they freeze perfectly.

Pralines

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 Minutes

2 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts (left in small pieces)

Heat brown sugar, cream and salt in large (3-quart or larger) heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Let syrup come to boil without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Mixture should boil up, becoming foamy with large bubbles, then settle down as bubbles become smaller and foam subsides. Cook at medium to high heat without stirring until mixture reaches 238 degrees on candy thermometer or until it reaches soft-ball stage (see Recipe Decoder), 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove syrup from heat and stir in pecans. Let mixture sit about 10 minutes, then stir about 2 minutes. Have long piece of wax paper spread on counter and drop by rounded tablespoons onto wax paper. Cool pralines completely, remove and store in airtight container between pieces of wax paper or freeze.

About 20 pralines. Each praline: 160 calories, 39 mg sodium, 16 mg cholesterol, 10 grams fat, 19 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 0.14 gram fiber.

Chinese Winter Soup

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes* Quick

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup spinach (use young small leaves), washed

2 tablespoons light or mild soy sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil (or Tabasco-like sauce)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

1/2 pound tofu, cut into small dice

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1 green onion, chopped fine

Simmer broth, mushrooms and spinach over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil and hot chile oil in small bowl, then add to broth. Taste and correct seasonings.

Stir cornstarch into water until dissolved.

Add dissolved cornstarch and tofu to soup, stirring constantly until soup boils. Continue to cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Garnish each serving with cilantro and green onion. Serve hot.

6 (1-cup) servings. Each serving: 148 calories, 869 mg sodium, 1 mg cholesterol, 8 grams fat, 9 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 0.71 gram fiber.