Every Tuesday, it’s friends, a craft, and a cocktail at Too Cute Tuesday. Get in on the fun, start your own TCT chapter, check out the archives, or connect with us on Facebook.
I just got back two weeks ago from Savannah Georgia, home of River Street Sweets and their wonderful pralines. I bought some for Chef Dan and proceeded to eat them all in the hotel room (shhh). I brought him back some pecans (in a sealed bag) and vowed to make some pralines when I got back home.
Then, I proceeded to sprain my ankle for the third time this summer. Thank goodness my pantry is stocked and Chef Dan only needed to pick up two of the ingredients on his way to Craft Central. Also, thankfully, there wasn’t too much involved in praline making and people were able to 1) relax and give me sympathy for my injury and 2) recover from last week’s epic craft failure, the first in Too Cute Tuesday’s history.
As Sue said of the experience, “Our crafting egos needed a reality check anyway.” True. But we were back on game tonight with this super easy craft. Dan whipped us up a signature drink: The Sad Lemonade to celebrate him finding blue curacao in our geographic area (for those wondering, Global Beverage Warehouse in Ellsworth).
Materials:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
wax paper
Cocktail of the Night: Sad Lemonade
Put 1 oz vodka and 2 oz blue curacao in a glass. Fill with lemonade (or if you’re fancy like us,pomegranatelemonade)
Looking for something non-alcoholic or just more southern? Try the sweet tea recipe I was going to make before I got gimpy.
1. Put everything except pecans and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Stir and heat until 236 degrees. Take off heat.
2. While cooling the ten minute period, drink Sad Lemonade and relax.
(Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeruny/4380289611/in/photostream/)
3. After ten minute period, stir in nuts and vanilla until the mixture ‘loses some of its gloss’. Plop on wax paper.
4. Laugh as Chef Dan pours the mixture, creating several large pralines instead of small dainty ones. Proceed to eat in the middle of them, creating borders. Have a friend offer to lick the pan out ‘so you have less to wash’.
I love when eating large amounts of sugar can be passed off as helpful. Even Jessica, who is a total healthy nut, took some home. Yup they were that good!
Aren’t you crafty… and unable to resist sweet southern treats!
(Want to see the actual recipe? It’s from Paula Dean, a Savannah Queen.)