Pralines

These should have been easy to make, but it took me three batches before I figured out the trick.

one cup dark brown sugar
one cup regular sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nuts, if desired

Mix the sugar, milk, and baking soda in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then add the butter and vanilla extract. Continue stirring constantly over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F (soft ball stage). You can see it start to thicken at this point, and if you drip a small amount into a glass of water, it will come together in a soft, gluey ball at the bottom. Remove from heat, and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile place some wax paper on the counter, and sprinkle it with a little salt.

You can add nuts at this point if you wish. Stir well until the mixture is no longer shiny (this is the most important step!).

Spoon onto salted wax paper...it's going to harden pretty fast, so don't delay. The candy will cool and harden in only a couple of minutes. Remove from the wax paper, and place in an airtight container to store.