Whether used to top ice cream, mixed into icing, or eaten on their own by the handful, pralines are a classic Southern confection that we always have room for.
History
The earliest form of pralines was created in 17th century France. Chef Clement Lassagne, who worked for Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, individually coated whole almonds in boiling sugar and named the confection “praslin” in honor of the marshal.
When French settlers brought the recipe to Louisiana, locals used pecans in place of almonds as they were readily available in the area. The sweet treat caught on and pecan pralines are now one of the most iconic confections of the Southern United States.
Taste and Texture
Pralines are nutty, buttery rich, and sweet with overtones of caramel. They are firm and snappy but have a creamy fudge-like consistency when eaten. Each bite is punctuated with pieces of crunchy pecan. We’d recommend adding a handful of chopped pralines to our Strawberry Sundaes for an extra buttery crunch. Or try them on top of our Labneh Cheesecake in place of pistachios. We think pralines go great alongside nearly any dessert.
How It’s Made
American pralines are generally made with pecans, butter, sugar, and cream. Slight variations, such as buttermilk instead of cream or corn syrup instead of sugar, are also common.
The ingredients are heated in a pot and stirred constantly until the liquids reduce and the mixture has sufficiently thickened. The prepared pralines are then spooned onto parchment paper and left to cool until firm.
Other Types of Pralines
The meaning of the term “praline” may change depending on where you are in the world. The southern pecan praline is only one of the three main variations of the original French praslin that are made today.
European Praline
Popular throughout France and most of Europe, praliné is made from caramel coated hazelnuts or almonds that are ground and used as a filling for chocolates or pastries. The term praline can be used to refer to this nut-based filling or the filled chocolates themselves.
Belgian Praline
In Belgium, the term praline is often used to refer to any soft-centered chocolate. This includes the aforementioned European pralines, but can also be used for chocolates filled with marzipan, cream liqueur, salted caramel, and more. Outside of the country, however, these confections are more commonly called Belgian chocolates or bonbons.
Feature Image: Flickr user wallyg ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 )
