Christmas Creations with APS

This might be the most important post I ever write ... it's about making Pralines. I don't know much about the other 48 states, but in Texas and Louisiana this is one of the food groups. This isn't my recipe either. Veronica's daughter-in-law posted it on her Facebook page earlier this month, hinting she'd like some. (Though she didn't want to have to wait until Christmas!!) Since Michelle's husband has his third of 4 finals tonight and we knew he wouldn't be home until 10 p.m., she thought she would try a test batch.

*** Note: The recipe was originally posted on I Love Texas Recipes Facebook page in December of 2013. 

It was quite simple ...

Ingredients:

Directions:

Michelle had a lot of fun, despite her 4-year-old having a momentary crisis at the "critical" stage (step 4). The whole process was fun, and except for needing a lot of pecans, she had most of the supplies in her "winter" pantry.

Here's a look at her adventure ...

So really the only thing she changed was using wax paper. There is very little that she uses wax paper for because most times you can substitute The Appliqué Pressing Sheet by Bear Thread Designs. While the craft sheet was originally created for fusible appliqué, its non-stick surface has also made it an interchangeable tool for other crafts and cooking.

The Appliqué Pressing Sheet comes in 3 sizes and you can special order a specific size as well. Since her parents' own the company she get leftovers, so as you can see, she has a roll of small pieces. These 3 pieces are slightly longer in width than a butter knife, so she had to us several. 

Michelle spooned the mixture onto the sheet and let them cool for about an hour for the first batch, because she had to make dinner. The second batch was plated after about 30 minutes and sent next door when the neighbor brought over Lil Monkey's (Veronica's grandson, not really a monkey), Christmas gifts they had been hiding there.

Both batches made 14 Pralines each. When it came time to plate them, they just slid right off. She liked that the sheet was sturdy enough so that she could lift it up and check to see if they had cooled all the way though.

Then, she wrapped the extras for her sister-in-law and put them in a container that I'm sure her sister-in-law will agree is too small! It only held 8, so I guess we'll put some on a holiday plate for her as well. Michelle is officially the favorite sister-in-law, at least for now, and I'm the favorite bear!

** Note: Is The Appliqué Pressing Sheet has been stored rolled, as above, lay it on the work surface with direction of roll facing downward. 

** Note: Once The Appliqué Pressing Sheet has been used with food, it cannot be used on craft projects. 

For more of Michelle's Kitchen Creations, visit The Teacup Collector's Cottage.