Peanut and chocolate pralines
I love making pralines. There are so many different flavors and combinations that can be used when making them. I came up with this recipe after making Snickers macarons and I had leftover peanut praline and peanut butter. All that was missing was some good quality milk and white chocolate.
I bought a special milk chocolate from Papua New Guinea a few months ago and was waiting for the opportunity to try it out. The chocolate had a nice almost smoky vanilla flavor and gave the pralines a special taste. I try experimenting with different kinds of chocolate and there are so many interesting flavors to choose from.
The filling is a mixture of milk chocolate ganache, peanut butter and peanut praline. It is simple to make and so good you can eat it with a spoon. For the finishing touch I added a piece of dried cranberry to each praline for some needed acidity.
The flavor of the peanut butter is subtle and the peanut praline gives the chocolate some crunch and texture. This recipe is great, if you want to use up your leftover peanut butter, and the pralines can be stored for a long time at room temperature. You can also give them away as gifts, wrapped in cute little cellophane bags.
For the filling:
To make the milk chocolate ganache, chop milk chocolate into small pieces, place them in a heat proof bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a pot until it boils. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate mixture until all the chocolate melts. Add the peanut butter and stir to combine.
Making the chocolate shells:
For the milk chocolate pralines:
Chop 150 grams of milk chocolate in medium sized pieces, put in the heat-proof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining 50 grams of the chocolate in tiny pieces and set aside. Put some water in a pot and heat gently to a simmer. Place the bowl with 150 grams chocolate on top of the pot, the water should not touch the bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, stir and check the temperature. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 40-45°C (104-113°F). When the chocolate reaches the right temperature take the bowl of the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate. The temperature should drop. Stir the chocolate gently to cool until it reaches 27°C (81°F). This may take a while, depending on the room temperature. When the chocolate is cool enough place the bowl back on the pot of simmering water and heat back to 29-30°C (84-86°F).
For the white chocolate pralines:
The same procedure is applied for the tempering of the white chocolate.
Now the chocolate is at the ideal working temperature, and you must work quickly. Fill the mold with chocolate, tap the mold a few times so that the air bubbles pop. Make sure the mold is fully covered in chocolate then flip the mold over the bowl of remaining chocolate so that the excess of chocolate drips off back into the bowl. The whole process is a bit messy but try to save as much of the chocolate in the bowl for later. Smooth off the chocolate from the mold with the palette knife. Flip the mold upside down on the cooling tray to ensure an even coating then put the mold in the fridge to set, it should set fairly quickly. Keep the remaining chocolate at the working temperature by gently heating it up, you can use a hair drier to gently heat the chocolate directly in the bowl. Be careful that it does not exceed 30°C (86°F), because then you will have to start the process all over again.
Pour the remaining chocolate over the mold and smooth out with the palette knife, tap the mold a few times on the bench to make sure that there is no air inside. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes. Take out of the fridge and let the chocolates set in the mold for a couple of hours or overnight at room temperature for maximum shine. If you are in a hurry you cold unmold the chocolates after 20 minutes.
I bought a special milk chocolate from Papua New Guinea a few months ago and was waiting for the opportunity to try it out. The chocolate had a nice almost smoky vanilla flavor and gave the pralines a special taste. I try experimenting with different kinds of chocolate and there are so many interesting flavors to choose from.
The filling is a mixture of milk chocolate ganache, peanut butter and peanut praline. It is simple to make and so good you can eat it with a spoon. For the finishing touch I added a piece of dried cranberry to each praline for some needed acidity.
The flavor of the peanut butter is subtle and the peanut praline gives the chocolate some crunch and texture. This recipe is great, if you want to use up your leftover peanut butter, and the pralines can be stored for a long time at room temperature. You can also give them away as gifts, wrapped in cute little cellophane bags.
Peanut and chocolate pralines
(Makes 60 pralines)
Time:
Preparation: 15min (filling)
Cooking: 20min(shells)+15min filling
Cooling: 20min(shells)+15min filling
Resting: 1 hour
For the filling:
- 50g heavy cream
- 120g milk chocolate
- 100g peanut butter
- a pinch of salt
- 50g sugar
- 20g peanuts
- 20g dried cranberries
- 200g milk chocolate
- 200g white chocolate
First you need to make the peanut praline. Place the peanuts on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, meanwhile put the sugar in a small sauce pan and on medium heat. When the sugar starts to melt shake the pan gently a few times to ensure that all of the sugar melts. Cook until the sugar is dark amber. When the sugar is ready pour it over the prepared peanuts, tilt the baking pan so that the caramel spreads around the pecans and evens out, sprinkle over the salt. Set aside to cool.
To make the milk chocolate ganache, chop milk chocolate into small pieces, place them in a heat proof bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a pot until it boils. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate mixture until all the chocolate melts. Add the peanut butter and stir to combine.
When the caramel with the peanuts is cool enough break it into pieces and place it in the food processor. Blitz until you end up with fine crumbs. Combine the peanut/caramel crumbs with milk chocolate and peanut butter ganache. Pour the mixture in a piping bag and place in the fridge to set.
Making the chocolate shells:
For the milk chocolate pralines:
Chop 150 grams of milk chocolate in medium sized pieces, put in the heat-proof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining 50 grams of the chocolate in tiny pieces and set aside. Put some water in a pot and heat gently to a simmer. Place the bowl with 150 grams chocolate on top of the pot, the water should not touch the bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, stir and check the temperature. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 40-45°C (104-113°F). When the chocolate reaches the right temperature take the bowl of the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate. The temperature should drop. Stir the chocolate gently to cool until it reaches 27°C (81°F). This may take a while, depending on the room temperature. When the chocolate is cool enough place the bowl back on the pot of simmering water and heat back to 29-30°C (84-86°F).
For the white chocolate pralines:
The same procedure is applied for the tempering of the white chocolate.
Pipe the prepared filing in the chocolate shells and add a cranberry to each praline. Do not overfill and leave room for the top layer of the chocolate.
Pour the remaining chocolate over the mold and smooth out with the palette knife, tap the mold a few times on the bench to make sure that there is no air inside. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes. Take out of the fridge and let the chocolates set in the mold for a couple of hours or overnight at room temperature for maximum shine. If you are in a hurry you cold unmold the chocolates after 20 minutes.
I wish I could have tasted them.
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