Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
- Makes 1 jar of homemade praline paste
- 200 g (1½ cups) shelled hazelnuts (or almonds, or half and half)
- 100 g (½ cup) sugar (preferably light brown sugar)
Making the praline
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) on the fan/convection setting. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast for 15 to 20 minutes, without letting them burn.
Pour the sugar into a small saucepan in an even layer and heat over low heat until the sugar melts (you’re making a caramel, so avoid touching it until it has melted). It will turn liquid and a fairly light brown. You can stir once it has fully melted.
Pour this hot caramel over the hazelnuts, spread out well (and still on their parchment paper). Let it cool for a few moments; it will harden.
- Break it into rough pieces by hand and put them in a sturdy food processor (I use the multi-purpose bowl of mine). Pulse several times to get a coarse powder: this is what’s called pralin, and you can use it as is to decorate cakes and desserts.
- Keep blending, taking breaks so the food processor doesn’t overheat, and stirring now and then. The mixture will gradually turn liquid and the pralin will become a creamy paste: this is praliné. Pour it into a jar and it’s ready.
You can use praline paste in lots of recipes. Here are a few ideas:
- Praline pastry cream
- Little chocolate praline pudding cups
- Doughnuts filled with praline cream (recipe coming soon!)
- Chocolate praline fondant cake (recipe coming soon!)
Tips and variations
- A mix of hazelnuts and almonds gives the praline a really lovely flavor; I usually go with 2/3 hazelnuts to 1/3 almonds.
- The jar keeps very well, sealed, in the refrigerator.