I offer you a simple and quick recipe to prepare a homemade praline paste with hazelnuts and almonds, both indulgent and flavorful. Essential in pastry, praline paste is used in many recipes such as entremets, ganaches, crepes, homemade chocolates, etc… Its uses are endless!
Praline paste is a semi-liquid paste obtained from caramelized nuts, usually hazelnuts, almonds, or a mixture of both, which is blended for a long time to obtain a fine, smooth, and creamy paste.
Making your own homemade praline paste also ensures control over the ingredients. You choose the percentage of almonds and hazelnuts, you avoid preservatives and additives, and above all, you get a paste with an intense flavor, much more delicious than store-bought versions. You can even try other nut combinations, like a pecan praline.
Personally, I use it extensively in many recipes, particularly in the crunchy praline feuilletine, a perfect crunchy base for entremets like the famous three chocolates or in a hazelnut praline entremet. A real treat, easy to make at home.
Table of Contents
Which food processor to use for homemade praline?
When I prepare praline paste, I always make a fairly large quantity. In the video, I made the equivalent of two and a half jars, but here I give you the proportions to fill one large jar. Of course, you can adjust the quantities according to your needs. If you don’t have a very powerful food processor, I recommend starting with half of the recipe below.
I used to use the old Moulinex 1.2.3 food processor, which was very efficient, but unfortunately, the new model didn’t last very long. So I recovered an old food processor from my mother (even with the lid slightly broken!) that I use for large quantities: it still does the job very well.
Recently, I also tested the Bosch SilentMixx blender, designed for smoothies and capable of crushing ice. It works very well for praline paste, especially if you work with reasonable portions.
Video recipe
Ingredients
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
You can use almonds only, hazelnuts only, or a 50/50 mix.
- 250 g of hazelnuts (8..8 oz) with or without skin.
- 250 g almonds (8.8 oz)
- 400 g ( 14 oz) granulated sugar
- 25 g (0.9 oz) butter (1 tablespoon)
Preparation steps :
Roast the almonds and hazelnuts at 150°C / 302° F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Rub the hazelnuts between your hands to remove as much skin as possible. It’s not a problem if some remains. You can also choose not to blanch them if you want a darker praline paste with a stronger flavor.
Place the sugar and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Let the sugar caramelize, stirring occasionally. Once it has a nice amber color, neither too light nor too dark, you can stop cooking. It should be slightly darker than in the photos below, without burning, for a well-balanced flavor.
Pour in the almonds and hazelnuts and mix well.
Pour onto a marble slab and leave to cool. Don’t touch it with your hands, as it’s very hot.
Place on a large sheet of baking parchment and, using a rolling pin covered with cling film, lightly crush.
This step makes the robot’s work easier. If you have a mortar, now’s the time to use it.
Blend until you obtain a smooth, liquid, and creamy paste.
Remember to take breaks to let your food processor cool down from time to time; take advantage of this time to do something else while waiting.
Once ready, keep your praline paste for your next creations: entremets, cakes, brioches… But be careful, don’t leave it within reach of children (or food lovers), they might finish it with a spoon!
Storage homemade praline paste
Pour your praline paste into a clean and dry glass jar with an airtight lid.
It can be stored for up to 6 months at room temperature, away from light, heat, and moisture.
Over time, the oil from the nuts may rise to the surface: this is perfectly normal. Simply mix the praline well before using it to restore its homogeneous texture.
Avoid storing it in the refrigerator, as this could harden it or change its texture.
Homemade Praline Paste
INGREDIENTS
You can use almonds only, hazelnuts only, or a 50/50 mix.
- 250 g hazelnuts (8..8 oz )with or without skin.
- 250 g almonds (8.8 oz)
- 400 g granulated sugar (14 oz)
- 25 g butter (0.9 oz)(1 tablespoon)
PREPARATION
- Roast the almonds and hazelnuts at 150°C / 302° F for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Rub the hazelnuts between your hands to remove as much skin as possible. It's not a problem if some remains. You can also choose not to blanch them if you want a darker praline paste with a stronger flavor.
- Place the sugar and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Let the sugar caramelize, stirring occasionally. Once it has a nice amber color, neither too light nor too dark, you can stop cooking. It should be slightly darker than in the photos above, without burning, for a well-balanced flavor.
- Pour in the almonds and hazelnuts and mix well.
- Pour onto a marble slab and leave to cool. Don't touch it with your hands, as it's very hot.
- Place on a large sheet of baking parchment and, using a rolling pin covered with cling film, lightly crush.
- This step makes the robot's work easier. If you have a mortar, now's the time to use it.
- Blend until you obtain a smooth, liquid, and creamy paste.
- Remember to take breaks to let your food processor cool down from time to time; take advantage of this time to do something else while waiting.
- Once ready, keep your praline paste for your next creations: entremets, cakes, brioches... But be careful, don't leave it within reach of children (or food lovers), they might finish it with a spoon!
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