Praline roses from Lyon: sweet souvenirs to savour (2024)

FAQs

What is praline in Lyon? ›

A unique specialty of the Lyon region, 'pralines roses' are almonds covered in pink caramelised sugar. Pink pralines form the base of many praline-based French desserts, such as 'tarte aux pralines' or 'brioche aux pralines', and of course, they can be eaten simply as they are – a classic French treat!

Invented in 1955 by Lyonnais pastry chef, Auguste Pralus, it is said that he was so inspired by a rose garden in the Rhône region that he decided to make his pralines pink…and as they say, the rest is history.

Now as simple as this recipe is, the brilliance of the tart comes from the natural red food coloring from the candy almonds, and we don't make red candy almonds in the states!

In the 18th century, a Lyonnais pastry chef was apparently inspired by the rose gardens in the Rhône region and tinted his pralines in a similar pink in his copper-mixing machine. This proved to be a hit with customers and the rose-coloured praline tart was born.

A praliné is a paste that is a mixture of nuts, chocolate and sugar. While in Belgium, a 'praline' is defined as a filled chocolate candy. Note that the term 'praline' is of Belgian origin.

At this point, you may be wondering why the pralines are pink. In fact, pink pralines are a speciality of the city of Lyon, and get their colour from the addition of red food colouring!

La Praline rouge (ou Praline rose) est un bonbon très particulier, et délicieux à la fois, si bien sur vous aimez les amandes. Elle peut être utilisée également en cuisine. On la retrouve notamment dans certaines variétés de brioches.

The actual creator of the praline is believed to be his personal chef, Clement Lassagne, but there are many versions of the story. Some versions have Lassagne getting the idea from children who were scavenging for scraps in the kitchens, nibbling on almonds and caramel leftover from one of his pastry creations.

pra·​line ˈprä-ˌlēn ˈprā- ˈprȯ- : a confection of nuts and sugar: such as. a. : almonds cooked in boiling sugar until brown and crisp.

Why do my pralines have white spots? ›

Why are there white spots on my pralines? The white spots are a natural process called crystallization.

Pralines (US: /ˈpreɪliːn/; New Orleans, Cajun, and UK: /ˈprɑːliːn/) are confections containing nuts – usually almonds, pecans and hazelnuts – and sugar. Cream is a common third ingredient.

praline, in French confectionery, a cooked mixture of sugar, nuts, and vanilla, often ground to a paste for use as a pastry or candy filling, analogous to marzipan; also, a sugar-coated almond or other nutmeat.

They never go “bad,” but after a week or so the sugar starts to crystalize and they lose the characteristic snap that you enjoy when biting them.

Pink Pralines (candied almonds or 'pralines roses') are a specialty from Lyon, France. A real treat to be used as candies, or to be used in Praline Tarts.

praline, in French confectionery, a cooked mixture of sugar, nuts, and vanilla, often ground to a paste for use as a pastry or candy filling, analogous to marzipan; also, a sugar-coated almond or other nutmeat.

Pralines (US: /ˈpreɪliːn/; New Orleans, Cajun, and UK: /ˈprɑːliːn/) are confections containing nuts – usually almonds, pecans and hazelnuts – and sugar. Cream is a common third ingredient. American pralines cooling on a marble slab. Unlike European pralines, American pralines are made with cream.

The key difference between the two is that a praline's main ingredient is nuts, whereas a chocolate truffle relies primarily on chocolate to showcase its flavour. In fact, a praline doesn't need chocolate in it at all, but we must admit we like to add a little every now and again.

Praliné is the result of a complex process: hazelnuts or almonds are roasted, before water and sugar are added. A kind of nougatine is created; it's then crushed and mixed to achieve a smooth, liquid texture. The chocolatier then adds cocoa butter to form the praliné needed to make the praliné chocolate.