Praline Dust Food

PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and draw 4 circles, about 10cm/4in across.
• Sift the flour onto a sheet of baking parchment. Put the milk, salt, sugar, butter and 80ml/2¾fl oz water in a pan and bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat, until the butter has just melted.
• When the mixture is bubbling, remove quickly from the heat, tip in the flour all at once and beat vigorously until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan clean. Return to the heat and cook over a low heat for at least 5 minutes.
• Leave to cool slightly, then gradually beat in the lightly beaten eggs, beating well between each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. Spoon the dough into a disposable piping bag, and snip off the tip to make a generous hole. Pipe 4 thick rings approximately on to the circles (piping the rings in one motion).
• Lightly brush the top with the egg wash, then sprinkle flaked almonds over the top of the choux.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and bake for a further 10 minutes until they are well risen and golden-brown. Once baked, remove from the oven and immediately slice the rings in half horizontally and return to the oven to dry out for approximately 3-4 minutes.
• For the praline, melt the caster sugar in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar has melted to a caramel. Add the hazelnuts and swirl to coat the hazelnuts in the caramel. Carefully pour onto a silicon mat and leave to cool and harden (boiling sugar gets very hot - take care not to burn yourself). Once cool, pulse the praline to a fine dust in a food processor.
• For the filling, pour the cream into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla seeds and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
• Sprinkle half the praline onto the bottom halves of the choux rings, then pipe a generous amount of cream over the praline. Sprinkle the remaining praline over the cream and place the pastry lids on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat surface, preferably granite or wood.
• Put all the ingredients in a large pot and attach a candy thermometer to the side. You need to be sure the thermometer goes deep into the mixture. Turn the heat to medium high.
• Fill a bowl that's larger than the pot halfway with ice water and set it aside.
• Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. When everything has melted together, start checking the temperature. When the thermometer reaches exactly 236 degrees F, remove the pot from the heat and stick it in the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Stir for 45 seconds while the pot is in the ice bath to evenly cool the entire mixture.
• With a large spoon, start dropping puddles of the mixture onto the parchment. Make sure you're getting some pecans in every spoonful. If you feel like it, sprinkle just a bit of salt on top. Let them cool all the way. If you're in a humid environment, they might stay sticky, but put them in front of a fan and they should get dry.
• Store them carefully in a tin, and don't stack them very high-three layers max, separated by wax paper.
• Find this recipe and more in Duff Bakes: Think and Bake Like a Pro at Home ($27.50, William Morrow).

PRALINES

Steps:

• Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring mixture constantly.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 236 degrees (soft ball stage).
• Remove mixture from heat, and add butter (do not stir).
• Let stand until candy thermometer reaches 150 degrees.
• Stir in pecans and vanilla, using a wooden spoon, and stir constantly until candy begins to thicken.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, working rapidly, onto wax paper.
• Let stand until firm.

PRALINE DUST

Steps:

• Spray a baking sheet with vegetable-oil cooking spray, wiping off any excess with a paper towel; set aside. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir to combine. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook without stirring until the sugar mixture reaches 295 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.
• Stir in 3/4 cup pistachios, the butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Return to heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Working quickly, spread mixture. Set aside to cool.
• Break brittle into small pieces. Place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until powdery.

PRALINE DUST

Steps:

• Lightly brown the nuts in an oven.
• cook the water and sugar until the caramel stage is reached.
• mix in the nuts.
• Turn out the micture on a baking sheet lined with baking parchement and lightly oiled.
• Allow to become quite cold.
• Crush to a coarse sand texture with a rolling pin, or break into chunks and place in a processor with a blade attachment.
• Store in an airtight container.

PRALINE FEUILLETE

Steps:

• Combine the cocoa butter and milk chocolate together. Add the praline paste. Mix well. Stir in the paillete feuilletine. Spread evenly into a 9 by 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Chill until set. Remove from pan and into cut squares. Coat squares with chocolate. When chocolate is almost set, dust with cocoa powder.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.