Alex Patout swears his recipe makes "The creamiest pralines anywhere" Butter a medium saucepan-this will make it easier to clean later. Pour in the cream and place over high heat. When it begins to boil, add the sugar and stir rapidly until it dissolves. Then stir in the vanilla and pecans and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (236F on the candy thermometer). Remove from heat and quickly beat in the butter-this helps arrest the cooking process. The candy should lose its glossy color and become very cloudy. Lay out a long strip of waxed paper on a work surface. Moisten it with a damp towel. Drop good-sized spoonfuls of the hot praline mixture onto the waxed paper, stirring the mixture occasionally as you go along to keep it well combined. Remove the pralines from the paper before they have cooled completely-later on it will be hard to remove them without breaking them. Store in tightly sealed containers, with layers of waxed paper in between. Makes about 2 dozen From Alex Patout's Cajun home Cooking