Il Cucinologo
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Chocolate and Hazelnut Pralines

17/11/2023

I can share with you a delicious recipe for Italian-style chocolate and hazelnut pralines, rich and indulgent. Know that this is a basic preparation, and you can then customize it to your liking.

Ingredients

  • 200 g of good quality dark chocolate;
  • 100 g of toasted and peeled hazelnuts;
  • 50 g of butter;
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking cream;
  • Cocoa powder as needed for finishing.

Preparation

  1. Start by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven if they are not already toasted. Place them on a baking tray and toast for about 8-10 minutes at 180 degrees. Let them cool and then, if necessary, rub them with a cloth to remove the skin.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie together with the butter and cream. Stir until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
  3. Add the toasted hazelnuts to the chocolate mixture and stir gently.
  4. Prepare a tray with parchment paper. Using two teaspoons, form small mounds of chocolate and hazelnuts on the tray, trying to include at least one hazelnut per praline.
  5. Place the tray in the refrigerator and let the pralines set for at least 1 hour.
  6. Once the pralines are well chilled and solid, roll them one by one in cocoa powder to give them a finished look and to prevent them from sticking to your fingers when served.

Your guests or family will certainly be enchanted by these delicious homemade pralines.

Trivia

Chocolate and hazelnut pralines are a very common specialty in northern Italy, especially in Piedmont where IGP hazelnuts are an ingredient of excellence. In Italy, these pralines are often called “gianduiotti”, after the famous chocolate made with gianduia chocolate, which is a mix of chocolate and finely ground hazelnut paste.