A jar of dark hazelnut praline paste
project · 2 hr · serves 1 jar

Praline paste

Sugar, nuts, patience. The base of half a pastry kitchen.

Caramelized hazelnuts, blitzed to a paste. Stir into yogurt, swirl into ice cream, fold into cake batter, eat off a spoon.

Ingredients

  • 300 g raw shelled hazelnuts
  • 200 g sugar
  • 60 ml water
  • pinch of salt

Method

  1. Toast the hazelnuts at 350°F for 10 minutes. Rub off the loose skins in a dish towel. Don't be precious — partial is fine.
  2. In a heavy pan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Don't stir. Cook until deep amber — about 8 minutes after the boil starts.
  3. Tip in the warm hazelnuts and the salt. Stir once with a wooden spoon.
  4. Pour onto parchment. Cool completely. It will look like brown glass.
  5. Break into pieces. Pulse in a food processor for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides every minute. It goes dry, then sandy, then suddenly turns into a glossy paste. Don't stop early.

Notes

Lasts a month in the fridge. Warm a spoonful in the microwave for 10 seconds to make it spreadable again.

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