Noisettes — Grolet
- 380 g hazelnuts
- 115 g caster sugar
- 8 g fleur de sel
Noisettes + Amandes (maison)
- 250 g hazelnuts
- 250 g almonds (or other nuts)
- 250 g caster sugar
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
- optional vanilla extract
Pistache — Big Choux
- 250 g pistachios
- 40 g grape seed oil
- 2 g fleur de sel
- 50 g icing sugar
Pécan — Big Choux
- 250 g pecan halves
- 75 g caster sugar
- 2 g fleur de sel
Praliné is the backbone of French pastry's nutty flavours — the filling of Paris-Brest, the crunch inside a Trianon, the paste that turns a ganache into something irresistible. The process is always the same: roast, caramelise, cool, blend. What varies is the nut, the caramel method, and how long you blend. Texture can range from a coarse, grainy paste (praliné sablé) to a completely liquid, smooth spread depending on how long the food processor runs and how hot the nuts are when blending begins. The pistachio version skips the caramel entirely — icing sugar and oil is sufficient to produce a vivid green paste without bitterness.
Method
Noisettes, Amandes, Pécan — caramel version
- Spread nuts on a baking tray. Roast at 170 °C for 15–20 minutes, turning halfway. They should be golden and fragrant. Cool slightly.
- For the caramel: tip the sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling gently, until a deep amber caramel forms. Do not stir — swirl only.
- Working quickly, pour the caramel over the warm nuts on a sheet of baking parchment (or add the nuts to the caramel and stir off heat). Toss to coat.
- Spread flat and leave to cool completely. Do not touch — molten caramel burns badly.
- Once cold, break into pieces and blend in a food processor. Start on pulse to break it up, then run continuously. The mixture will pass through: coarse crumbs → sandy paste → a shiny liquid paste. Stop at whichever texture you need. For the Grolet version, stop just past the sandy stage for a paste that is firm but spreads.
- Store in a clean jar. Refrigerate for months. Bring to room temperature before using.
Pistachio (no caramel)
- Roast pistachios at 160 °C for 10–12 min. The goal is to dry them and bring out flavour without browning them — they should remain bright green.
- Combine pistachios, icing sugar, salt, and oil in a food processor. Blend until a smooth, pourable paste forms. The oil helps the paste stay workable; adjust to achieve the consistency you need.
- Store refrigerated in a jar. Keeps several weeks.
Background
The difference between Grolet's hazelnut version (380 g nuts / 115 g sugar) and the classic maison version (equal weights) is more than proportions. Grolet's has a higher nut-to-sugar ratio, producing a more intensely nutty, less sweet, and more complex praliné. The salt (8 g) is not incidental — it suppresses excess sweetness and amplifies the toasted hazelnut flavour. This is the version to use when praliné is the centrepiece of a dessert.
The caramel method matters. A dry caramel (no water added) is faster and gives a deeper, more complex flavour because the sugar heats more evenly and develops more Maillard compounds before colouring. A wet caramel (with water) is slower but more forgiving — there is less risk of uneven burning at the edges. For praliné, dry is preferred: it produces a more rounded, bittersweet flavour and integrates better into the nuts.
Blending while the caramel-nut mixture is still warm is easier. The fat in the nuts is more fluid at temperature and releases faster, leading to a smoother paste with less effort. Cold praliné can seize the food processor motor in longer blending sessions. If blending from cold, pulse in short bursts and rest between rounds to avoid overheating the machine.
The pecan version has slightly less sugar than the hazelnut because pecans are already sweeter and more oily. Their fat releases easily, making for a naturally smoother paste with minimal blending. The salt and light caramel balance the nut's richness without overwhelming it.
Mistakes I've Made
- Caramel went too dark. A very dark amber is tempting — it smells incredible — but produces a bitter praliné that overpowers everything it touches. Stop at a warm amber colour, erring on the lighter side.
- Caramel crystallised (massed) in the pan. Stirred the dry caramel while cooking. Swirling only — no stirring — is the rule for dry caramel. Once crystallisation starts, there is no saving it.
- Praliné gritty after blending. Stopped blending too early, before the fat released fully. Run the processor for longer in 30-second bursts, scraping down the sides. The paste will eventually turn glossy and liquid — be patient.
- Praliné seized and turned crumbly in the freezer. Stored it while still warm; water condensation formed inside the jar. Always cool completely at room temperature before sealing and refrigerating.
- Pistachio paste went grey. Roasted too long — the chlorophyll bleaches above 165 °C. Keep the oven temperature low and watch closely for the first hint of a nutty aroma.
Sources
- Praliné noisettes —
- Praliné Maison —
- Praliné pistache + pécan —