Praline
Prep 20 mins
Cook 10 mins
Serves 4
Difficulty 3
This recipe can be used with whatever nuts you like, really, or a mixture of your favourites. You can even substitute pretzels or salted crackers (there’s no need to roast them). Praline is incredibly versatile. It can be used coarsely chopped or processed to a fine powder, which keeps very well in an airtight container in the freezer. Make it ahead of time to garnish a special dessert, or just sprinkle it over ice-cream for a weeknight treat.
140g nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds or macadamias
200g caster sugar
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a baking tray with oil and set aside.
2. On a separate tray, roast the nuts in the oven until deep golden (8-10 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, combine sugar and 100ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Brush down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush to remove any lingering sugar crystals. Increase heat to medium-high, then cook without stirring until the mixture turns to dark caramel (7-8 minutes), swirling the pan during the last minute of cooking. It’s easy to burn the mixture, so be wary. The best way to see whether the caramel is done is to tilt the pan and look at the colour of the caramel on the base – you want a dark golden colour.
4. Carefully add the warm nuts to the caramel and swirl the pan to coat the nuts. Pour onto the oiled tray. Set aside to cool completely (1-2 hours), then break or chop into pieces, or process to a fine powder in a food processor.
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METHOD
Recipe and image by Eatable.
