Almond Pralines

For one who loves chocolate, this is the perfect recipe for home-made Almond Pralines.

I learned this several years back from an instructor but I lost the recipe. I recreated this based on my vague memory but it was good! (: This took about an hour to prepare and yields 24 mini Almond Pralines.

Almond Pralines Recipe

Ingredients:

170g dark coverture chocolate buttons

100g almond strips

40g icing sugar

100g castor sugar

60ml of water

20g white coverture chocolate

Steps:

The ingredients. My hands were itching to try out some other moulds I've just gotten, hence the silicon moulds on the right. Preheat oven to 175 degree Celsius.

Place 100g of sliced almonds in a lined baking tin.

Sieve 20g of icing sugar onto the almonds.

Mix it. Bake it for 20 minutes to 'cook' the almonds.

Double boil the white chocolate.

Let it melt and cool before scooping it into a piping bag.

Knot the piping bag and set aside.

While the almonds are being baked, prepare the sugar solution by boiling 100g sugar with 60ml of water on low heat. Ensure that all sugar granules are melted.

Remove pan from oven and pour sugar solution into pan. Mix well. Sieve the other 20g of icing sugar onto the almonds and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes till' the almonds become 'hard'. Do stir the almonds every 5 minutes or so to allow even cooking.

Meanwhile, double boil the dark chocolate.

Allow it to be 50% melted before removing from heat. Continue stirring. The warmth will continue to melt the chocolate.

Bring the chocolate to cool by partially submerging the pot into a bowl of cool water. Be sure not to allow any water to come in contact with the chocolate as it will ruin the chocolate.

The almonds should be dried and hard like this.

Scrap almonds off pan and place it in a mixing bowl.

Add the melted dark chocolate into the almonds.

Mix well!

Scoop the almonds into mini cups with a teaspoon.

Cut a small tip on the piping bag and decorate the pralines.

Allow the chocolate to set in the fridge for 5 minutes before bringing it back out to store.

Try not to refrigerate chocolates as it'll cause white spots to appear on the chocolate also known as sugar bloom. Store the chocolates in a cool dry place.

Enjoy the Almond Pralines! (:

I'd love to see the bakes or stuff you've cooked using the blog's recipe! Do share photos of stuff you've baked or cooked using the blog's recipe with me either via FB message to http://facebook.com/limcynthia OR http://facebook.com/thebakingbiatch OR via email at cynthia.lim.hl@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you! (: