--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This year I am doing praline pecans, an…" description: "\"“This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite family favorite, easy and addictive. And a festive holiday dark chocolate loaf cake, with pistach..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/stacey-ballis-6284_baking_this-year-i-am-doing-praline-pecans-an-o_333424.jpg" --- # This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite… ![“This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite family favorite, easy and addictive. And a festive holiday dark chocolate loaf cake, with pistachios and dried cherries and white chocolate chips. I get out my huge seven-quart KitchenAid mixer, and head to the basement, where I have ten pounds…” quote by Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/stacey-ballis-6284_baking_this-year-i-am-doing-praline-pecans-an-o_333424.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/stacey-ballis-6284_baking_this-year-i-am-doing-praline-pecans-an-o_333424.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/stacey-ballis-6284_baking_this-year-i-am-doing-praline-pecans-an-o_333424.jpg) > ““This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite family favorite, easy and addictive. And a festive holiday dark chocolate loaf cake, with pistachios and dried cherries and white chocolate chips. I get out my huge seven-quart KitchenAid mixer, and head to the basement, where I have ten pounds of gorgeous halved pecans in the chest freezer, and a pallet of organic eggs from Paulie's Pasture in the commercial refrigerator I use for entertaining and overflow. Upstairs, I focus on separating eggs, reserving the yolks for making pasta or custard later. Beating whites, melting butter, I can feel my shoulders unclench as the scent of toasted sugar pecans caramelizing fills the house.”” [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes preparing festive baked goods, emphasizing the joy and sensory relief of cooking during the holidays. **In simple terms:** Cooking brings comfort and sensory pleasure. Key Takeaway Enjoy the process, not just the result. Themes baking comfort holiday sensory joy Mood cozy enthusiastic Type personal descriptive When to use this quote - holiday parties - family gatherings - stress relief - creative cooking Key Concepts culinary arts ritual mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does cooking affect your mood? - What sensory details make you feel relaxed? A Different Perspective Time‑intensive recipes may limit spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baking/) [Chocolates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chocolates/) [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Dark chocolate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-chocolate/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Jenna-stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jenna-stewart/) [Pecans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pecans/) ## Related quotes > [“Stirring the pastry cream and putting it in the blast chiller in the island, a total chefly indulgence that I have never once regretted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/stirring-the-pastry-cream-and-putting-it-in-the-blast-chiller-in-the/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Iceberg wedges with a homemade Thousand Island dressing and bacon bits. 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They live in the neighborhood, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/my-friend-alana-comes-over-with-her-husband-rj-and-they-both-kiss-me/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I make the creamed spinach, as close as I can get to the memories I have of eating it at Lawry's Steak House with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-make-the-creamed-spinach-as-close-as-i-can-get-to-the-memories-i/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I want coffee to taste of coffee. Maybe a little cream and sugar. I do not want coffee that tastes of potpourri or fruit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-want-coffee-to-taste-of-coffee-maybe-a-little-cream-and-sugar-i-do/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Yep," I say, cutting a large slice of the Dutch Baby pancake and sliding it onto her plate along with two pieces of thick-sliced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/yep-i-say-cutting-a-large-slice-of-the-dutch-baby-pancake-and-sliding/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Volnay is prancing, head up proudly; her squat little bowlegs producing a smooth gait that would make the dog show people preen. She carries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/volnay-is-prancing-head-up-proudly-her-squat-little-bowlegs-producing/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [If I have a weakness, it's probably ice cream. That's where I get lax, sloppy. I'll sneak into the refrigerator at night and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/if-i-have-a-weakness-it-s-probably-ice-cream-that-s-where-i-get-lax/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Pecans are not cheap, my hons. In fact, in the South, the street value of shelled pecans just before holiday baking season is roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/pecans-are-not-cheap-my-hons-in-fact-in-the-south-the-street-value-of/) [Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/) > [I think I'm a lot like other moms out there who feel like if we don't have the pecan pie we have every year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hill/i-think-i-m-a-lot-like-other-moms-out-there-who-feel-like-if-we-don-t/) [Faith Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hill/) ## More by Stacey Ballis > [“Jack was the kind of guy you could take into any situation and he would figure out how to fit in. Wayne, not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/jack-was-the-kind-of-guy-you-could-take-into-any-situation-and-he/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Volnay is prancing, head up proudly; her squat little bowlegs producing a smooth gait that would make the dog show people preen. She carries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/volnay-is-prancing-head-up-proudly-her-squat-little-bowlegs-producing/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Deciding that he was essentially useless, I made him a large glass of sangre del tigre- "blood of the tiger"- a lethal Bloody Mary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/deciding-that-he-was-essentially-useless-i-made-him-a-large-glass-of/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I cooked with so many of the greats: Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz. Rick Bayless taught me not one but two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-cooked-with-so-many-of-the-greats-tom-colicchio-eric-ripert-wylie/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Last night I read about a dish Gemma made for the staff for breakfast, which sounded really good despite its horrible name. Toad-in-the-hole. Seriously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/last-night-i-read-about-a-dish-gemma-made-for-the-staff-for-breakfast/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I'm going to explode," my dad says, rubbing his stomach gleefully. He's just put down a massive sandwich piled with corned beef, pastrami, chopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-m-going-to-explode-my-dad-says-rubbing-his-stomach-gleefully-he-s/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Miss A-la-na here seems to think that my pork medallion with caramelized-onion pan sauce is a little heavy-handed, that the onions need a lighter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/miss-a-la-na-here-seems-to-think-that-my-pork-medallion-with/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Relax, princess. If your prince arrives, I'll vacate. Just keeping you company. Besides, he should know better than to leave a beautiful girl waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/relax-princess-if-your-prince-arrives-i-ll-vacate-just-keeping-you/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Yeah, just what I needed, a massive three-day Hostess binge, followed by a week of trying to replicate recipes so that if no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/yeah-just-what-i-needed-a-massive-three-day-hostess-binge-followed-by/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Going to the gym...all those people who always told me that you get addicted to it, that endorphins kick in, that eventually you crave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/going-to-the-gym-all-those-people-who-always-told-me-that-you-get/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I pick up my teaspoon and take a small bite, and am transported. The cake is nutty and moist, the cream with the barest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-pick-up-my-teaspoon-and-take-a-small-bite-and-am-transported-the/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Yep," I say, cutting a large slice of the Dutch Baby pancake and sliding it onto her plate along with two pieces of thick-sliced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/yep-i-say-cutting-a-large-slice-of-the-dutch-baby-pancake-and-sliding/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“The cake is pretty simple; they didn't want anything too fancy. Two tiers. The bottom is the Frango mint tier from the cake contest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/the-cake-is-pretty-simple-they-didn-t-want-anything-too-fancy-two/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“In a frenetic whirlwind we chop and dice and mince, turning anything we can think of into a possible pizza topping, and packing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/in-a-frenetic-whirlwind-we-chop-and-dice-and-mince-turning-anything/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“So," he explains. "Take the piece of bread, dip it in the olive oil and then in the spice and nut mix, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/so-he-explains-take-the-piece-of-bread-dip-it-in-the-olive-oil-and/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) [Explore all 99 Stacey Ballis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) ## More Baking quotes > [I'm a fan of a big roast or a bolognese, but I also love baking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-lowe/i-m-a-fan-of-a-big-roast-or-a-bolognese-but-i-also-love-baking/) [Daisy Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-lowe/) > [Always my fallback is - I'm gonna move to a poor town and open a scone shop... Sometimes after some bad auditions I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-rannells/always-my-fallback-is-i-m-gonna-move-to-a-poor-town-and-open-a-scone/) [Andrew Rannells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-rannells/) > [Simple jewelry is best - bigger pieces get in the way when I'm baking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-tosi/simple-jewelry-is-best-bigger-pieces-get-in-the-way-when-i-m-baking/) [Christina Tosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-tosi/) > [The ordinary activities I find most compatible with contemplation are walking, baking bread, and doing laundry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/the-ordinary-activities-i-find-most-compatible-with-contemplation-are/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [I don't have a very good relationship with baking. I do bake sometimes, but my natural instinct is to just do what feels right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thu-tran/i-don-t-have-a-very-good-relationship-with-baking-i-do-bake-sometimes/) [Thu Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thu-tran/) > [“Baking, by contrast, was solving the same problem over and over again, because every time, the solution was consumed. I mean, really: chewed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/baking-by-contrast-was-solving-the-same-problem-over-and-over-again/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [Always bake in the center of the oven. A pan placed too close to the bottom of the oven will receive more heat radiating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-saffitz/always-bake-in-the-center-of-the-oven-a-pan-placed-too-close-to-the/) [Claire Saffitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-saffitz/) > [Pecans are not cheap, my hons. In fact, in the South, the street value of shelled pecans just before holiday baking season is roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/pecans-are-not-cheap-my-hons-in-fact-in-the-south-the-street-value-of/) [Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/) > [“If you bake a cupcake, the world has one more cupcake. If you become a circus clown, the world has one more squirt of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-e-landsburg/if-you-bake-a-cupcake-the-world-has-one-more-cupcake-if-you-become-a/) [Steven E. Landsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-e-landsburg/) > [I like to take mustard baths. 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But the books I'm producing now like 'Perfect Plates in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whaite/after-bake-off-i-got-these-book-deals-that-were-very-much-baking/) [John Whaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-whaite/) > [“It’s amazing how much easier it is to bake a cake when you’ve got an eternity to get it right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-walrath/it-s-amazing-how-much-easier-it-is-to-bake-a-cake-when-you-ve-got-an/) Holly Walrath > [In my eyes, baking and pastry-making is like a science - all the measuring of quantities and temperatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-stein/in-my-eyes-baking-and-pastry-making-is-like-a-science-all-the/) [Rick Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-stein/) > [“There are divisions between a culinary chef and a dessert chef, also called a pastry chef. At Zomick's are specializations within the pastry chef…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-ben-israel/there-are-divisions-between-a-culinary-chef-and-a-dessert-chef-also/) [Ron Ben-Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-ben-israel/) > [Picture your grandmother in Hell, baking pies... without an oven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/picture-your-grandmother-in-hell-baking-pies-without-an-oven/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) [Browse all 331 Baking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite family favorite, easy and addictive. And a festive holiday dark chocolate loaf cake, with pistachios and dried cherries and white chocolate chips. I get out my huge seven-quart KitchenAid mixer, and head to the basement, where I have ten pounds of gorgeous halved pecans in the chest freezer, and a pallet of organic eggs from Paulie's Pasture in the commercial refrigerator I use for entertaining and overflow. Upstairs, I focus on separating eggs, reserving the yolks for making pasta or custard later. 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