Praline au Benne

24 servings Total: 1 h 15 m Intermediate
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Praline au Benne
This recipe is our 1000th recipe posted to the website. We dedicate it to three very special Cajuns ladies, no not Clotile, Florine, or Thibodeaux’s wife, but Ms. Brenda Richard, Ms. Bert LeBlanc and Ms. Amanda LeMoine Ellerbe who have been major contributors to this website. A unique twist on traditional pralines using roasted sesame seeds and peanuts with Steen’s cane syrup. Merci Mon Ami!

Ingredients

24 servings
  • 1 cup roasted sesame seeds
  • 1 cup fresh roasted peanuts roasted
  • 1 cup Steen's or Cane Syrup
  • pinch of baking soda

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Roast the sesame seeds over medium heat stirring constantly until the seeds start to pop and have a light toasted flavor, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside. While roasting the seeds, roast the peanuts. Place the raw unshelled peanuts on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until they have a slightly toasted flavor. Shell the peanuts; it is ok to leave some red hulls.
  2. In a heavy duty aluminum pot, I like to butter the sides, cook the syrup to the hard ball stage (250-265°F). In the hard ball stage, the candy will roll into a hard ball which has lost all plasticity and will roll around on a plate on removal from the water. Add a pinch of soda and stir. As with most dishes when soda is added, the syrup will foam. Add the sesame seeds and peanuts and heat thoroughly. Drop by spoonful on a well-greased/buttered cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why is my syrup crystallizing or turning grainy?

A: Make sure to butter the sides of the pot and avoid stirring too much once the syrup starts boiling. Crystallization happens when sugar crystals form on the sides and fall back into the mixture.

Q: How do I know when I've reached hard ball stage without a thermometer?

A: Drop a small amount of syrup into cold water. It should form a hard ball that holds its shape but is still slightly pliable. If it's too soft, keep cooking; if it shatters, you've gone too far to hard crack stage.

Tips and Techniques

A candy thermometer makes this recipe much easier - aim for 250-265°F. Butter the pot sides to prevent crystallization, and work quickly once you add the seeds and nuts since the mixture sets fast.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Steen's Cane Syrup: light corn syrup or golden syrup
  • peanuts: pecans or cashews

Equipment Needed

  • heavy-bottomed pot or aluminum pot
  • candy thermometer
  • cookie sheet
  • wooden spoon

Historical Context

The word ‘benne’ comes from West African languages and was commonly used in Louisiana to refer to sesame seeds, brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans who used them extensively in their cooking.