Pralines

There is a vast assortment of delicious chocolate treats out there but many people don't know the difference between them. A truffle is a treat that has to contain ganache but a praline is a treat that contains any form of chocolate on the inside or outside. A praline also does not include any baked products inside it but can be a mixture of caramelized sugar and toasted nuts. The first pastry we made in class was an Apricot Butter Truffle. Now this is classified as a truffle and a praline because it has chocolate and ganache in it.

Apricot Butter Truffle                                  Yield: about 130 Pralines

10    oz. (284 gr.) Butter

10    oz. (284 gr.) Fondant

  5    oz. (142 gr.) Apricot Brandy

14    oz. (400 gr.) Milk Couverture

10    oz. (284 gr.) Semi-Sweet Couverture

Soften the butter, add the fondant and cream mixture. Add the apricot brandy slowly (best temperature is around 80 degrees F.), no lumps. Combine the milk- and semi-sweet couverture and melt to 100 degrees F., then whip into the butter mixture.

Pipe with a No. 4 star tip onto semi-sweet couverture stencils (23 mm in diameter).

Let the ganache set until it has produced a skin (that will take about 2 hours).

Coat the pralines with tempered milk couverture. Do this by putting the point side down into the chocolate and then flipping it over with a fork in the chocolate and then tap the excess off. To decorate, use a tempered semi-sweet couverture dot on top.

This is what the truffles should look like and if you want to put the dot of chocolate on top that is just another step. If you like dark chocolate then you definitely love these truffles.