Tonight, I had a craving to make and eat praline. I had an abundance of nuts in the cupboard, but alas, no sugar. Being in a foreign city (Brisbane) and not in the vicinity of my well-stocked home pantry, I decided I would just have to suffer, and dream about crunching down upon that golden perfection. Minutes passed. The craving did not subside. With the supermarkets already being shut, my only hope was a 24 hour convenience store… But would they sell sugar? After a phone call to the local Night Owl, I dashed down the street to buy me some sugar. Sweet sugar.
Praline, was originally inspired in France at the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, by the cook of the 17th-century sugar industrialist, Marshal du Plessis-Praslin(1598–1675). To make it, one simply brings a cup of sugar, with enough water to cover it, to the boil. Leave it on the boil until it caramelizes and turns a lovely aureate colour, then simply pour over chopped up nuts. Careful not to burn the caramel. Sugar gets very hot, and burns very easily. Having every nut on hand, I made macadamia, walnut, pecan and brazil nut praline.
When cooled, snap into little shards. The cracking sound is delightful as is the smell that permeates throughout the house. The smell of simmering sugar, reminding me of Mr Bow’s sweet shop, in Playing Beatie Bow, by Ruth Park.
I enjoyed my praline with a cup of T2’s Earl Grey Royale. The smoky bite of the tea balances the sweetness of the praline.
