Praline Sauce

You know what we could all use more of in our lives? Praline sauce. For whatever reason, praline sauce doesn't get enough love, especially compared to caramel. And that's not a dig at caramel. I love caramel and wouldn't dare say a mean thing about caramel, but it's time we give more attention to the equally delicious praline sauce.

In addition to being dreamy and delicious, praline sauce is simple to make, you can whip up a batch in no time, and it elevates so many desserts. Drizzle praline sauce on ice cream, brownies or cheesecake. Use it as a filling for cupcakes or cake. You could also eat it by the spoonful, and I wouldn't judge. I'd be lying if I said I've never been guilty of that.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Now that you're sold on the beauty of praline sauce, let's chat about the oh-so simple recipe details. In a small saucepan, we melt a little butter and then cook chopped pecans until they’re toasty. This step allows the butter to brown and give this sauce a rich, nutty flavor.

After you toast the pecans, whisk in dark brown sugar, cornstarch, heavy cream, dark corn syrup and a pinch of salt. And I do insist on using dark brown sugar as opposed to light brown sugar, though I should add that I almost always use dark brown sugar. Honestly, it’s been years since I’ve even bought a bag of light brown sugar. I much prefer the richer, more complex flavor of dark brown sugar, and that’s extra important when making praline sauce.

Let the mixture cook until boiling for a few minutes to give the cornstarch a chance to thicken the sauce. Once it the thickens, turn off the heat, stir in some vanilla extract and you’re done. Even though you thickened the sauce, it will still be pourable. As it cools, the sauce will further thicken, but if you want to get it back to that pourable stage, just pop it in the microwave. And that’s all it takes. You now have a delicious homemade praline sauce that always impresses.

Perfect Pairing

I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned this, but I especially love pairing beer with dessert. Sometimes the hardest part is narrowing down the beers because you have so many great pairing options. So drumroll, please ... For this praline sauce, I recommend a barley wine, preferably aged in bourbon barrels.

Barley wine is great with this praline sauce because it has a malty sweetness reminiscent of burned sugar and toffee. Those flavors meld well with the nutty notes of the praline sauce, and barley wine is bold enough to stand up to the sauce's richness.

On the wine side, a tawny port is the perfect choice. I always love a good tawny with nutty and caramel-like desserts, which has similar notes, so the two complement each other nicely.

Given the versatility of this praline sauce, I hope you give it a try with your next dessert. I'm in love with this sweet sauce and have a feeling you will feel the same way. If you try this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter.

Cheers!

Craving Some Sweets?

• Bourbon-peach clafoutis 
• S'mores ice cream
• Chocolate chip-coconut-macadamia nut cookies

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