'Tis the Season 17

A lot of my friends are doing their holiday baking.  I used to do a lot of baking during the holidays for parties, Raymond's work buddies, neighbors, etc., but it seems most of my friends are on diets or restrictions for health reasons, so I just don't bake at all now.  

My mom baked up until the last couple years of her life.  She baked on a weekly basis. When my brother and I were growing up there were certain recipes mom only made at Christmas.  Two of those recipes were her Mexican Orange Candy and New Orleans Pralines.  I don't like pralines of any kind, but I loved the candy.  

Her recipes were in several cookbooks in KY.  I think I will share the two above here:

New Orleans Pralines
2 c. white sugar
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. white syrup
2 c. chopped pecans

Boil sugar, milk and syrup to soft boil stage.  Add pecans, butter, vanilla. Beat until creamy. Spoon onto waxed paper. These spoonfuls will form a small disc, so allow room in between.  You can top with half a pecan in the center of each praline.  

Mexican Orange Candy
3 c. granulated sugar
Grated rind of 2 oranges
1 c. nutmeats (black walnuts or pecans)
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. rich sweet milk
1/2 c. butter

Melt a cup of sugar in a large kettle (6 quart capacity).  Scald milk in a double boiler.  When sugar is melted to a rich yellow, add hot milk, all at once.  Keep stirring.  Mixture will boil up quickly, so you must use large kettle. Add 2 cups of sugar to this mixture stirring until dissolved.  Just before it is done, add orange rind, salt, butter and nutmeats.  Beat until it is creamy; pour into a butter pan to cool.  

(The recipe doesn't say, but I remember a 9x13 pan and once it is cool you cut the candy into squares)