Step 1
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease with butter. Set aside.
Step 2
In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine buttermilk and heavy cream. Place over medium-low heat and stir in the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar, Redpath® Granulated Sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Stir to dissolve sugars.
Step 3
Once dissolved, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. For an accurate reading, ensure the probe does not make contact with the bottom of the pot. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, do not stir. Stirring the sugar mixture after it starts to boil will lead to crystallization and a pronounced granular texture in the final product. If worried about burning, lower temperature slightly.
Step 4
Bring the temperature of the sugar mixture to 240°F (116°C). Turn off and remove pot from heat.
Step 5
Scatter the cubed butter over the surface of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle in the pure vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper. Scatter the toasted hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, and pecans over the butter. Let sit 5 minutes to allow the mixture to cool slightly; do not stir.
Step 6
Carefully stir the ingredients together until mixture becomes creamy and slightly thickened. Immediately drop tablespoons of the praline mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet, spaced about an inch apart. Let cool completely before peeling pralines off from parchment; about 15 minutes.
Step 7
Store pralines in a cool, dry location in an airtight container, layered between parchment paper.
*If buttermilk is unavailable, a good substitute is to stir 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup (250 millilitres) of milk. Allow to sit and thicken; 5 to 10 minutes. Proceed with the recipe, as usual, using the necessary amount of buttermilk required. Alternatively, replace buttermilk with heavy cream, though the slight tang from the buttermilk will be lost.
*If making for young children or those sensitive to spicy foods, omit cayenne or substitute with ground cinnamon. Alternatively, increase cayenne pepper to ½ teaspoon if a spicier praline is desired.
*If praline mixture spreads too much when it hits the parchment, stir to cool the mixture a bit more before trying again.
*Pralines will become harder to work with as the mixture cools; work quickly.
