Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
For 1 jar of homemade praliné
- 200g (1⅓ cups) shelled hazelnuts (or almonds, or half and half)
- 100g (½ cup) sugar (preferably brown)
Preparing the praliné
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) in convection mode. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread the hazelnuts and bake for 15 to 20 minutes without burning them.
In a small saucepan, pour the sugar evenly and heat over low heat until the sugar melts (you’re making caramel, avoid touching it before it’s melted). It will become liquid and light brown. You can stir once it’s fully melted.
Pour this hot caramel over the well-spread hazelnuts (that you’ve left on the parchment paper). Let cool for a few moments, it will solidify.
- Break into rough pieces by hand and place them in a sturdy blender (I use the multi-function bowl). Pulse several times to get a coarse powder, this is what’s called pralin, you can use it as-is to decorate cakes and desserts.
- Continue blending with pauses to avoid overheating the blender and stirring occasionally. The consistency will gradually become liquid and the pralin will transform into a creamy spread, that’s praliné. Pour into a jar, it’s ready.
You can use praliné in many preparations, here are some ideas:
- Praliné pastry cream
- Chocolate praliné dessert cream
- Doughnuts filled with praliné cream (recipe coming soon!)
- Chocolate praliné fondant (recipe coming soon!)
Tips and variations
- The hazelnut and almond mixture gives a wonderful flavor to the praliné. I generally use 2/3 hazelnuts to 1/3 almonds.
- The jar will keep very well, sealed in the refrigerator.