Praline Hazelnuts RECIPE
Inviting and irresistible, once you start eating them, it’s hard to stop, what are they? But the PRALINE HAZELNUTS!
The Praline hazelnuts, caramelized or Mother-in-law sleepers, it doesn’t matter what name you give them, what matters is that they are definitely irresistible, but above all simple and quick to prepare, you only need 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to have your house filled with the scent of caramelized sugar.
A typical snack at fairs and village festivals, a guilty pleasure to always keep in the pantry and bring out when you need comfort food or to munch on while watching your favorite series on TV.
The Recipe for Praline Hazelnuts is really easy and quick to make and the final result will not disappoint you: just put the toasted hazelnuts in a saucepan which will then be covered during cooking with sugar which will turn into caramel; just make sure to remove the skins from the hazelnuts before using them as they can sometimes taste bitter.
And then with the same process, you can caramelize other nuts like almonds or cashews and not only munch them as a sweet finger food but also use them to decorate cakes or ice cream cups.
For the greediest, besides the traditional version, there is the spiced one, for which you just need to add some cinnamon, but also the chocolate one, and for the health-conscious, even the sugar-free version.
Decide which one is right for you, it doesn’t matter which you choose because I guarantee they’re all delicious, easy to prepare, and ready in just 5 minutes, one warning: they are addictive and one leads to another… ask my husband who every time I put the jar in front of him begs me to take it away so he doesn’t finish them!!!.
Related recipes for hazelnut lovers
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 207.60 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 24.42 (g) of which sugars 21.88 (g)
- Proteins 3.01 (g)
- Fat 12.48 (g) of which saturated 0.90 (g)of which unsaturated 11.01 (g)
- Fibers 1.88 (g)
- Sodium 0.60 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 40 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups toasted hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
Tools
- Pan
- Baking sheet
Steps
Place the hazelnuts, granulated sugar, and water in a non-stick saucepan, preferably with a thick bottom, and turn on the stove to medium heat. Bring to a boil, continuing to stir constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and burning the caramel.
Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat, without stopping stirring, you will see the caramel begin to stick to the hazelnuts and crystallize.
Once the hazelnuts are pralined, turn off the heat and pour them onto a sheet of parchment paper, being careful not to burn yourself.
With a spoon (do not touch them as they are scorching) try to separate and space them out. Let them cool completely before serving. Now you are ready to enjoy this delight but remember… they are addictive!
NOTES AND VARIANTS
BASIC VERSION the basic version presented here is also known as “mother-in-law sleeper” for its sweet flavor and intoxicating power that would tame even a mother-in-law!
SPICED Just add a pinch of cinnamon or ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and the praline hazelnuts will be even better.
CHOCOLATE For those who want to indulge in an extreme guilty pleasure, dip the hazelnuts after pralining in melted dark chocolate. Let them dry on a rack and to avoid a cloying effect from too much sweetness, roll them in bitter cocoa.
BAKED If you do not want to dirty pans and pots, you can opt for baking. In this case, you need to soak the hazelnuts in water, drain them and pour them into a bowl with granulated sugar. Then shake off the excess sugar and spread them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated static oven for 15 minutes at 392°F, then lower the oven to 194°F and finish baking for 1 hour. This will make them crunchy and dry without burning.
WITHOUT GRANULATED SUGAR For those who want to indulge in a guilty pleasure without feeling too guilty, you can prepare a healthy version of praline hazelnuts by replacing the sugar with 85% dark chocolate. It will be necessary to melt the chocolate in the microwave or bain-marie and cover the previously toasted hazelnuts, then let them cool and if desired, dust with bitter cocoa.
