If you love Mexican food as much as I do then June 24th National Pralines Day #NationalPralinesDay and one holiday your going to want to participate in Once you finish your dinner then you should have a Praline. If you will excuse me Charlie wants to go get Fajita’s for dinner this evening from Mexican Inn and you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going to have a Praline or two. Would you like to join Charlie and I for dinner?
National Pralines Day celebrated on June 24th celebrates a Nut-based creamy confection that can be enjoyed in an assortment of ways. Pralines are a smooth and sweet treat made from Nuts, Sugar, and sometimes Cream. Pralines can be used in Cookies, Candy, and as a paste and Pralines are often made with Pecans or Almonds. The name Praline is believed to have been inspired by French Sugar industrialist and French diplomat César, duc de Choiseul, comte du Plessis-Praslin who used a powder called Palin made by grinding Sugar-coated Nuts.
During the Seventeenth Century, France’s Marshal du Plessis-Praslin was responsible for the fame and name of the Praline, but many believe that it was his Chef, Clement Lassagne who was the true creator of the Praline. In one account, the idea for Pralines came from Lassagne’s children who snacked on the leftover Almonds and Caramel from earlier culinary projects which inspired the idea.
In another, the children had Caramelized Almonds over a candle and Lassagne followed the scent and discovered the magic of the mixture. And in yet another, Lassagne’s apprentice accidentally knocked a container of Almonds into a vat of cooking Caramel. Doesn’t matter how Pralines came into play they taste amazing.
Pralines were brought over from France to New Orleans by Ursuline Nuns in 1727. They oversaw young women called casket girls who, under the request of Bienville, were meant to marry New Orleans’ colonists. The casket girls were taught the art of Praline making along with academics and domestic work for the purpose of becoming good wives to the settlers. Pralines became part of the local tradition in New Orleans, and now they’re an essential part of creole cuisine.
In the Nineteenth Century, the ingredients switched from Almonds to Pecans because of their availability in New Orleans, and Cream was used to thicken the texture. Women in the French Quarter who sold Pralines were called Pralinieres and selling Pralines gave free people of color job opportunities when work was limited.
Instead of being indentured servants or kept-women, women of lesser means were given more autonomy thanks to this alternate avenue of income. The Praline expanded into other parts of the Country and they became popular in Texas and Georgia as a favored Southern confection, but it all began in The Big Easy.
Pralines haven’t changed much from their original form and the ingredients still consist of Pecans, Dairy, and Sugar, and some have added Vanilla and Maple for more flavor. People have experimented with Pralines in many different ways, but the original is still just as loved as it was back then. The creamy sweetness of this confection still holds its own amongst many other treats.’
LET’S CELEBRATE NATIONAL PRALINES DAY
- The best way to celebrate National Pralines Day is to make them yourself! Visit a confectionary and learn the art of creating Pralines. You’ll feel like a true French Chef putting all the ingredients together, and once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with some of your favorite flavors.
- If you want a professional to do the work for you, visit a Pastry shop and try Pralines prepared by people who know exactly what they’re doing. Ask the pastry Chef about Pralines and which Pralines would be best to try. You might end up leaving with a new favorite flavor of Pralines.
- A trip might be in order to truly appreciate the Pralines American origins. If you have the opportunity take a trip and learn about the history of Pralines on a walking tour in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the birthplace of Pralines in the United States. The best part of it is that afterward, you can treat yourself to more Pralines!
FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL PRALINES DAY
- Chef Lassagne opened a sweet shop in France called the Maison du Praslin that’s still around today.
- The three main types of Pralines are Belgian Pralines, French Pralines, and American Pralines.
- Belgian Pralines have a hard Chocolate shell with a softer, or liquid filling.
- Belgian Pralines are also called Belgian Chocolates, Belgeian Choclate Fondants, and Chocolate Bonbons.
- In New Orleans, Pralines are sometimes called Pecan Candy.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL PRALINES DAY
- Pralines are more of an unsuspecting treat, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less deserving of attention. Learning more about Pralines expands your own culinary boundaries instead of just sticking to our favorite treats. Put down the Cookie and try a Praline!
- Pralines are a part of New Orleans’ history and have changed its cultural landscape. With the arrival of the French Ursuline nuns and their casket girls, the Pralines became a tradition that’s embedded in the heart of the City, adding more culture to an already culturally-rich place.
- rt’s no small feat that the selling of Pralines offered free women of color in the Nineteenth Century the opportunity to have a job when their options were limited and it gave women a source of income and more independence than many other places and that shouldn’t be ignored.
Recipe for Pralines
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pecan praline
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 16.9 g
- Sodium: 104.6 mg
- Fat: 10.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 9.3 mg
Ingredients
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 1 cup (225g) packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/4 cups (212g) pecan halves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Set out parchment paper for making the pralines on and have a tablespoon sized scoop handy and ready to go.
2. Add everything but the pecans, salt and vanilla extract to a medium pot and heat over medium heat. Stir regularly until it begins to foam and boil.
3. When it begins to foam and boil, stir constantly until it reaches 236 degrees.
4. Remove from heat and add the pecans, salt and vanilla extract.
5. Stir vigorously with a rubber spatula for 3 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. The longer you stir, the thicker the mixture gets. You don’t want it to get too thick, or it’ll be hard to scoop the pralines and they’ll dry more firm.
6. Quickly drop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto parchment paper and allow them to cool and firm. If the mixture is too thin and spreads more than you want, stir a little bit more. If the mixture starts to cool too much as you’re scooping, place it back on the warm burner (but don’t turn it on) and let it keep the mixture warmer. I find it helps to stir the mixture after every few scoops.
7. When pralines are cool and firm, store in an airtight container.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
