The praline is undoubtedly the most prestigious and sophisticated of these three preparations. Praline is a paste of roasted and caramelised dried fruit that is used in many pastries and confectionery, as well as in the filling of certain chocolates. It can be made from almonds or hazelnuts, and more rarely from both.
To make its praline chocolates, Fauchon works with Pascal Caffet, Chef Chocolatier and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, for whom the science of praline has no secrets. He knows better than anyone that to obtain a smooth, intense and slightly grainy paste, a meticulous handcrafted production process must be followed.
Like pralines and praline, the quest for the perfect praline begins with the roasting of the dried fruit in a copper cauldron at 150 degrees for 45 minutes. This stage is essential as it allows the taste of the hazelnut or almond to be brought out to its full depth and subtlety.
The roasted fruit is then mixed with a sugar syrup in which it continues to cook. When the sugar has turned into caramel and crystallised around the hazelnuts or almonds, the preparation is heated once more to form a nougatine which is then broken with a hammer.
It is at this stage of the recipe that the magic happens: the pieces are then put into a blender, where they are first reduced to a powder, finer and finer, and then start to form a paste.
Some pastry chefs choose to grind the mixture further until it is perfectly smooth and very liquid, while other artisans seek a more rustic end result that retains some crunch.
When prepared for use in fine chocolates, the praline must go through a final stage. Still too liquid for this use, the praline must undergo an addition of cocoa butter which makes it denser and more solid.
You will have understood that praline, pralin and praliné are three monuments of pastry making which, although they are made from roasted dried fruit, each have their own identity. Although they deserve to be distinguished from each other, they are similar in one respect: once you have tasted them, it is difficult not to return!