Praline Charlotte Recipes

PRALINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.

HEAVENLY PRALINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Add pecan halves; stir gently to coat. Combine sugar and brown sugar; add to pecan mixture and stir gently to coat., Spread into two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in chopped pecans., Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve with candied pecans.

PRALINE CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Place a heavy skillet over medium heat and add the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until the sugar is melted and a deep golden color. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecan halves. Pour the mixture onto a buttered sheet pan and allow to cool.
• When cooled, chop the pralines finely. Set half aside and transfer the other half to the container of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Set aside.
• Make or reheat the custard sauce (it should be warm) and transfer it to a large bowl. Dissolve the gelatin in 2 tablespoons water and stir it into the custard. Stir in the salt. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally, until it is thickened but not yet gelled, about 20 minutes.
• Fold the powdered praline into the cooled custard. Whip 1 1/4 cups of the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold it into the custard. Fold all but 1/4 cup of the reserved chopped praline pieces into the custard. Save the rest for a garnish. Refrigerate.
• Take 4 to 6 ladyfingers and trim them into "petals" with one rounded edge and one narrow, pointed end. Arrange them, domed side down, in the bottom of an 8-cup charlotte mold, narrow ends pointing in and rounded ends pointed out. Trim the sides of another 12 to 15 ladyfingers and set them upright around the mold, domed sides out, packing them as closely together as possible.
• Pour the custard mixture into the mold. Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the ladyfingers level with the filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Unmold the charlotte onto a serving platter. Combine the powdered sugar, remaining cup of cream and rum and whip until it holds firm peaks. Place some of the cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tube and pipe lines of cream between the ladyfingers and rosettes around the edge of the plate. Sprinkle the charlotte with the reserved praline, slice and serve with the remaining sweetened whipped cream on the side.

PRALINE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook over moderatly high heat for five minutes.
• Stir in the almonds and continue cooking, stirring almost constantly with a wire whisk. The syrup will become granular for a brief time. Continue cooking for a total of about five minutes or until the syrup becomes a dark caramel color.
• Meanwhile, brush a cold flat surface (preferably marble or glass, not wood) with oil and wipe with a paper towel to leave a light film of oil. Pour the caramelized almonds onto the surface. Let stand until thoroughly cold. The praline may be cracked and eaten at this point. Or it may be pulverized.
• Break up the caramelized almonds into pieces. Pulverize the pieces. This may be done two ways, using a rolling pin (which is more traditional) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, a little oil might come out of the almonds.