We love using this nutty powder as a dessert topping or sprinkled over frosting to add an extra hit of flavour to a layer cake filling.
MAKES: about 4 cups
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 8 to 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 ½ cups hazelnuts
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- ROAST THE HAZELNUTS
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Spread the hazelnuts out on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes.
- REMOVE THE HAZELNUT SKIN
- Immediately wrap the hazelnuts in a large, clean kitchen towel.
- Vigorously rub the hazelnuts through the towel to remove most of their skins.
- Discard the skins and set the hazelnuts aside.
- PREPARE THE BAKING SHEET
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Set aside.
- MAKE THE PRALINE
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the sugar and water.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Hook a candy thermometer over the side of the saucepan.
- Boil the sugar mixture, without stirring but occasionally washing down the sides of the saucepan with a clean, damp pastry brush, until the candy thermometer registers 330ºF, 8 to 10 minutes. (If you don’t have a candy thermometer, drop a little of the mixture into a bowl of cold water. If it forms hard, brittle threads, it’s ready.)
- Remove from the heat immediately and quickly stir in the hazelnuts.
- Spread the mixture out on the prepared baking sheet.
- Let cool completely.
- MAKE HAZELNUT PRALINE POWDER
- Break the cooled praline into chunks.
- Place the chunks with the salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
- Pulse until the praline is reduced to a fine powder.
- (The praline powder can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.)
CHANGE IT UP:
- Other nuts—separately or in combination—work well in the praline powder: try almonds, pecans or cashews, or a combo of hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios
