What is praliné? Discover this treasure of indulgence!

Praliné, for you, is surely that paste that fills your favourite chocolate bar... But really, not quite! What exactly is praliné? If you've ever asked yourself this question while savouring a Paris-Brest, biting into a rocher or licking a spoon covered in this delicious hazelnut-almond preparation (but not only), you're in the right place! In this article, we'll explain what praliné really is, this indulgent marvel that revolutionises our pastries and could well dethrone your sacred classic spread. You'll discover its composition (simple and effective), its manufacturing secrets (mysteeerious), how to tell it apart from pralin or the pink praline, and above all, how to use it to elevate your culinary creations, your snacks and your breakfasts. So settle in comfortably and get ready to drool: let's dive together into the wonderful world of praliné!

What is praliné? A indulgent definition

Nuts, sugar and a lot of love

Let's start at the beginning: what is praliné in its purest form? Praliné is a deliciously smooth preparation obtained from roasted nuts (usually almonds and hazelnuts), caramelised with sugar, then finely ground until a smooth, melting paste is obtained.

The composition of traditional praliné is disarmingly simple: most praliné recipes mix about 50% hazelnuts and almonds and 50% sugar. At Plaisirs Pralinés, we go even healthier, less sweet… and more intense: no less than 60% nuts marry the caramel and vanilla!

It's in this simplicity that all the magic of this incredibly flavoured spread lies. Roasting the nuts reveals their most powerful aromas, while the delicately caramelised sugar with its vanilla touch brings an indulgent note and incomparable sweetness.

Oh yes, a little disclaimer: praliné is not chocolate, contrary to a super widespread idea! Although the famous Nut Nut is made of chocolate and hazelnuts, it's in no way a chocolate praliné, no! The original praliné contains no cocoa: hazelnuts, almonds, sugar, that's all it takes to give it that unique and rather crazy taste, it must be said.

If the traditional praliné recipe is made with hazelnuts and almonds, today there's a multitude of variations around the classic praliné. And since at Plaisirs Pralinés we like to… give you pleasure (yes indeed), we've truly created pralinés for every taste:

• hazelnut praliné
• almond & sea-salt praliné
• pistachio praliné
• pecan & almond praliné
• pine nut & sea-salt praliné...

And more besides! Each nut brings its own aromatic nuances, for the greatest pleasure of our taste buds. Which would you choose first?

Pralin, praliné, pink praline: what's the difference?

It's confusing, right? Pralin, praliné, and pink praline: although we often confuse these three terms, they designate different preparations.

Praliné is, as you've understood, that little spreadable delight, smooth and decadent, obtained by grinding (long and intense) caramelised nuts.

Pralin is in fact the step that precedes praliné in pastry. These are the nuts that have been caramelised, then simply chopped coarsely — not ground finely into a paste. We use pralin to add crunch and a nutty flavour to desserts.

The pink praline, meanwhile, is a Lyon speciality made of almonds coated in caramelised sugar coloured pink. If you're wondering "what is the pink praline", well it's a crunchy sweet, not a spread. It often fills a brioche called Praluline or Saint Genix depending on the region.

Clearer now? So back to our sheep… or rather to our praliné!

The praliné recipe with the perfect ratio

Of course, now that we've made your mouth water, you're probably wondering what the praliné recipe is, to quickly get to taste it!

If you'd like to dive in and make your own praliné, here's the base recipe with the ideal proportions for an authentic praliné recipe:

• 180g nuts (almonds, hazelnuts or a mix of both)
• 120g sugar
• a vanilla pod

First roast your nuts in the oven, to develop their aromas (and that subtle "roasted" taste). Then, prepare a lovely golden caramel with the sugar and vanilla (no water, mind). It's ready, it has the most beautiful colour? Then go, add the roasted nuts and mix gently to coat them completely. Pour it all onto a tray or silicone baking mat, spread and let cool. You "only" have to break then grind this lovely mixture progressively in a blender, until you get a smooth, homogeneous paste.

Be careful though! The grinding step makes homemade praliné a touch tricky. It can literally kill your household robot if it's not powerful enough! That's precisely why we invested in "The Beast" (our mega robot) after sacrificing our old blender…

If you'd rather jump straight to the most enjoyable step (spoon-licking!), you can discover our collection of artisanal spreads crafted with love and know-how.

Praliné in baking: which recipes to make?

Now that you know how praliné is made and that you can either make it yourself or fall for one (or several!) of our 8 indulgent variations, let's talk about the wonderful culinary creations you can make with this sweet gem!

Paris-Brest is undoubtedly the most emblematic praliné pastry. This craquelin choux crown filled with a praliné mousseline cream is an essential classic of our French desserts. Besides, fun fact: do you know why it bears this strange name? Because… its bicycle-wheel shape pays tribute to the famous Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race, yes yes!

And to bake a good Paris-Brest, you need an excellent praliné. Here's our little extra that makes it totally crazy: under the flavoured mousseline cream, we add a praliné insert directly… A double dose of indulgence that works its little effect on our guests.

But our delicious hazelnut-almond spread (or any other nut) can feature in many other creations. Here are a few ideas:

Flavour your creams to elevate your fruit-tart bases, bring a unique touch to your galette des rois or create entremets to lick your lips over. Pistachio praliné pairs particularly well with red berries or apricot, almond praliné elevates pear, hazelnut praliné is perfect with apple for example.

Drizzle your crêpes with a generous layer of praliné for an unforgettable snack. Add a few banana slivers or sautéed apples and a dab of whipped cream for an… indecent tasting experience?

Fill your muffins or cookies by inserting a frozen praliné dollop at the heart of the dough before baking. The contrast between the crisp outside and the melting centre is simply divine! Can't be bothered? No problem: just drop a dollop of praliné on your cakes fresh out of the oven, you'll tell us about it!

Give an incredible aroma to your sablé biscuits by folding praliné into the dough. That's what we did in our cocoa-hazelnut praliné bredeles and frankly, the verdicts are unanimous (in short, they all say "YUM!!!").

Simply pimp your breakfast: on your toast or milk rolls, but also to add a sweet AND healthy touch to your overnight oats or healthy bowl, a little spoonful of praliné changes EVERYTHING!

So, what is praliné if not a magical and hyper-versatile ingredient? Originally reserved for pastry pros, it now features in every kitchen. Normal: it can single-handedly transform the simplest dessert into a chef-worthy creation!

Where to buy praliné for your toast and pastries?

The fateful question, now that we've made your mouth water: where to buy quality praliné?

Well you can find praliné in supermarkets, obviously. It's not yet a spread as widespread but it exists! Well, no surprise, beware of disappointments that could make you say praliné isn't great… Industrial versions often contain too much sugar, added fats and obviously, you've no guarantee on the ingredients' origin. The result? A so-so taste that has nothing to do with the flavour explosion of a true artisanal praliné.

To taste the real praliné, the one that'll make you close your eyes with pleasure at every bite, we recommend turning to passionate artisans… like us! If we're unanimous, it's because we meticulously select the best ingredients (local whenever possible) and respect old-fashioned methods, like cooking in the good old copper cauldron. The aromas are ultra-developed and at every tasting, we see people literally melt with pleasure. That's our finest guarantee!

In short, at Plaisirs Pralinés, we make a point of offering exceptional products (and above all without that nasty palm oil or weird additives). Our praliné's composition is simple and transparent: carefully selected nuts, Alsatian sugar, Madagascar vanilla and above all, above all, a max of love!

What is praliné? Your new addiction!

Ultimately, what is praliné if not your new breakfast passion, your new best mate in baking, your new guilty pleasure you'll love dipping your spoon into discreetly? One thing's for sure: it's a tasting experience you're bound to want to try. Its incomparably smooth, slightly crackly texture, its intense and balanced taste, its just-right dose of comforting sugar… Whether you choose to enjoy it simply by the spoon (the best), to elevate your pastries with it, or to spread it (very) generously on a slice of fresh bread, praliné will always bring a moment of ecstasy to your taste buds!

Don't wait any longer to discover or rediscover this ultimate delight! Don't know which to choose? It falls just right: our discovery box 8 jars is designed for that. Our 8 best artisanal praliné variations await you… The hardest part will be deciding which to start with!

FAQ

What is the composition of praliné?

Traditional praliné is generally composed of 50% roasted nuts (almonds and hazelnuts most often) and 50% caramelised sugar, all finely ground until a smooth paste is obtained. But at Plaisirs Pralinés, the recipe is unique and far better! Less sugar, a touch of vanilla and sea salt, and above all, nuts that change: have you already tasted pistachio or peanut-almond praliné?

What's the difference between pralin and praliné?

What is pralin in pastry? It's a crunchy mix made of caramelised nuts, coarsely chopped, to sprinkle over your desserts. Praliné, on the other hand, is then ground and blended at length, until you get a smooth, spreadable paste (or to eat by the spoon).

Is praliné chocolate?

No indeed, contrary to a widespread idea, praliné and chocolate are two different things. Praliné is a preparation made from nuts and caramelised sugar, which is then blended to obtain a spread. You can add chocolate to create a variant, but the original praliné contains no cocoa at all (and it's even better!).

Article written with ♥︎ by Virginie Phily