24 June is National Praline Day, a day that was created to honour the praline – a treat made from nuts (whether whole or ground) and sugar syrup.
Pralines may also refer to any chocolate cookie containing the ground powder of nuts. There are a variety of pralines to be enjoyed, including:
• Belgian pralines, consisting of a hard chocolate shell with a softer, sometimes liquid, filling.
• French pralines, which are a combination of almonds and caramelised sugar.
• American pralines, consisting of milk or cream, are softer and creamier, resembling fudge.
During the 17th century, the French sugar industrialist – Marshal du Plessis-Praslin (1598 – 1675) – who lived at the Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte invented the early praline. They were whole almonds individually coated in caramelised sugar.
The powder made from ground up sugar-coated nuts is called pralin and is an ingredient of a variety of cakes, pastries and ice cream. When this powder is mixed with chocolate, it becomes a praline in French, which gave birth to what is known in French as choclat praline.
The recipe for pralines was brought into Louisiana, an area known for its plentiful sugar cane plantations and pecan nut trees.
During the 19th century, chefs from New Orleans substituted pecans for almonds, added cream to thicken the confection, and created what is known throughout the Southern United States as pralines.
To celebrate today, create your own batch of pralines from scratch, or you could visit you favourite confectionery and enjoy a few with some friends and family.
Use #NationalPralineDay to post on social media.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
