Summertime Michigan dreaming…
american redstart at Tahquamenon Falls State Park near Paradise ~ this little fellow should be the state bird of Michigan
the old Mendota Ship Canal near Bete Grise in the Keweenaw Peninsula
afternoon sunlight on Lake Superior shoreline near Eagle Harbor
Eagle Harbor Light flashing red
the incredible colors of a Lake Superior Sunset, near Eagle Harbor
jaggery, roasted peanuts, and ghee
We all have our strengths and weaknesses.
I firmly believe in that little truism, and it’s something I have tried to instill in my children. It comes in very handy when you mess something up. I am quite proficient at that when it comes to candy making — definitely not one of my strengths!
I can’t make candy because I’m too impatient. I can’t be bothered with so many threads, so many hardballs, softballs, sticks and other assorted examples of candy-speak that pepper the pages of cookbooks. I want candy to be like soup or gravy — just keep adding things and stirring it ’round till it looks right.
I have, however, a new little (old) cookbook, and in it was what looked to be a very easy recipe for jaggery toffee. Ingredients: jaggery, ghee, ginger, peanuts.
“O Joy! O Yum! O Sweet Simplicity!” thought I, “surely even I can do THIS!
I won’t worry about the thread so much, I will wing it”. Ha ha!
an old Parsi cookbook that appears to have been used often
I followed the recipe exactly, except for the thread. I just cooked the jaggery with the ghee until I thought it looked “right” — then mixed in the peanuts and ginger and stirred as directed. Poured it out onto greased wax paper. Left it to cool. When I came back, there it was, staring up at me from the counter in all its
gently-crystalizing glory…
a
great
big
dinner-plate sized
PRALINE!
If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know how good pralines taste. Any time I have set out to make them, I’ve ended up with toffee or brittle. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that when I set out to make toffee, I got pralines!
So there it is, my humble entry to this month’s Jihva for Jaggery, graciously hosted by Kay of Towards a Better Tomorrow. Just under the wire as usual, but at least I complied with her request to “try a recipe that we’ve never tried before” — albeit unwittingly.
Next time, I will substitute pecans for peanuts and see what I get 
jaggery and peanut praline pieces with Asha’s Masala Chai, yum!
jaggery and peanut praline
