Praline is a very old confectionery which was invented in France during the 18th century by the Count of Plessis-Praslin’s cook Clément Jaluzot. It was a simple recipe: nuts caramelised in sugar. It is still a traditional “lolly” (sweet) or bonbon as we say, which French people still enjoy.
Pralines are also heavily used in pâtisserie or baking. The caramelised nuts are crushed to a coarse or fine powder or even transformed into a paste, all of these forms are called praslin.
A famous French dessert is made with praslin: le Paris-Brest. It is a choux pastry (profiterole) filled with a mix of butter cream and crème pâtissière (pastry cream) flavoured with praslin. It is delicious. Paris to Brest is a bicycle race called nowadays “Paris-Brest-Paris” or PBP. It is not as famous as the Tour de France but it is one of the oldest bicycle races in the world and has its adepts including many Australians! This dessert was made to celebrate it.
In Belgium pralines are delicious fine chocolate cases filled with a mix of chocolate and praslin paste called praliné. It has become a great classic in the world of chocolate. I am a huge fan (when it is handmade).
So let me guide you through this basic recipe which you will be able to use to flavour any dessert or chocolate creations. I will write recipes soon including: Paris-Brest, Praslin ice-cream, praslin custard, etc.
It is a very simple recipe involving 3 to 4 ingredients: water, sugar and nuts. My favourite praslin has a half-half blend of hazelnut and almonds.
Weigh 250 g (8.8 oz) of nuts: hazelnut and almond, 50% of each. I like to keep the skin on. It gives a much more rich and authentic taste to the praslin.
Weigh 170 g (6 oz) of white sugar, any crystal size.
Add 20 ml (0.7 oz) of water.
Bring the sugar and water mix to the boil to reach 121°C (250°F). I suggest you use a sugar thermometer (there is risk of ruining your beautiful nuts…) but you can do without. You need to look for larger bubbles and a thicker syrup. This is when it reaches the right temperature.
Tip the nuts in the sugar, stir to make sure you coat them all with the syrup with a wooden spoon.
Keep on stirring and notice the sugar turning white…
The sugar then reaches a strange state we call “sabler” sanding, it does look like sand.
Turn the stove down to avoid burning the nuts. A medium heat is fine. Look for darker marks on the nuts. If you get any, take the pan off for a few seconds and turn the temperature down.
Keep on stirring on medium heat to melt all the “sanded” sugar.
Here you are! All the sugar has melted and turned into caramel. You have managed your stove temperature to avoid burning the nuts.
Tip the caramelised nuts on a silicon mat or marble. Let it cool completely.
You can proceed to the next step when the caramel is cold. Take it off the mat.
Break it into 2 to 5 cm pieces (1.2 to 2 in). Hep, hep, hep!!! Don’t steal!!!
It’s hard not to have a little bite…
Prepare your food processor. At the time of these photos I didn’t have my Magimix Cook Expert and it was a challenge using this little thingy which heated a lot in the process. If you have a bigger appliance, it’s much better!
Place broken pieces in the bowl respecting the limit.
Whizz until you get coarse praslin.
You can decide to have a finer praslin. Then add a few minutes of chopping.
Now, if your recipe requires a paste, you need to wait for a longer time. Don’t despair… the powder will start to go up the sides. Just push it down regularly.
The paste has to remain near the blade.
And finally… here it is! The beautiful paste!
You will be able to use it as a spread, create wonderful praslin swirls in vanilla ice-cream, flavour custards and pastry cream, chocolate mousse, etc.
Now go back up. See the first photo with the 3 Bonne Maman Jars? Well, they all have the same amount of broken caramelised nuts. You can see how making a paste reduces the volume to a minimum. The first whizz will keep a good volume and you can use these “crumbs” to sprinkle on ice-ream, on a cake icing, on anything sweet really…
I didn’t lie, it is a real quick and easy recipe.
It can be kept in a jar with a lid for a long time…
- 250g (8.8 oz) nuts (50% hazelnuts 50% almonds) with skin on
- 170g (6 oz) of white sugar, any crystal size
- 20 ml (0.7 oz) water
- Put the sugar in a frying pan. I use non-stick. Add water.
- Bring the sugar and water mix to the boil to reach 121°C (250°F). I suggest you use a sugar thermometer (there is risk of ruining your beautiful nuts...) but you can do without. You need to look for larger bubbles and a thicker syrup. This is when it reaches the right temperature.
- Tip the nuts in the sugar, stir to make sure you coat them all with the syrup with a wooden spoon.
- Keep on stirring and notice the sugar turning white... The sugar then reaches a strange state we call "sabler" sanding, it does look like sand.
- Turn the stove down to avoid burning the nuts. A medium heat is fine. Look for darker marks on the nuts. If you get any, take the pan off for a few seconds and turn the temperature down.
- Keep on stirring on medium heat to melt all the "sanded" sugar.
- Here you are! All the sugar has melted and turned into caramel. You have managed your stove temperature to avoid burning the nuts.
- Tip the caramelised nuts on a silicon mat or marble. Let it cool completely.
- You can proceed to the next step when the caramel is cold. Take it off the mat. Break it into 2 to 5 cm pieces (1.2 to 2 in).
- Place broken pieces in the bowl of a food processor respecting the limit. Whizz until you get coarse praslin. You can decide to have a finer praslin. Then add a few minutes of chopping.
- Now, if your recipe requires a paste, you need to wait for a longer time. Don't despair... the powder will start to go up the sides. Just push it down regularly. The paste has to remain near the blade.
- And finally... here it is! The beautiful paste! You will be able to use it as a spread, create wonderful praslin swirls in vanilla ice-cream, flavour custards and pastry cream, chocolate mousse, etc.
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