Praline Truffle Cups Recipes

PRALINE TRUFFLE CUPS

Steps:

• Melt candy coating in heavy 2-quart saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Spread 1 teaspoon coating evenly on bottoms and up sides of paper cups. Let stand about 1 hour or until hardened.
• Melt chocolate in heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate about 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and mounds when dropped from a spoon.
• Spoon chocolate mixture into decorating bag with star tip. Pipe mixture into candy-coated cups. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate mixture is firm. Peel paper from cups before serving if desired.

PRALINE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make praline,toast almondsin rimmed baking pan for 10minutes, or until lightly browned, stir-ring once halfway through. Set aside.Line a baking pan with a Silpat (Frenchbaking mat) or parchment paper. In amedium saucepan, bring sugarand water to a boil over mediumheat. Wash down the sides of the panwith a pastry brush dipped in cold waterto keep sugar crystals from forming. Onceall the sugar has dissolved, increase heatto medium-high and continue cookinguntil syrup is a caramel color. Removefrom heat. Stir in the almonds using awooden spoon. Working quickly, pourmixture onto prepared baking pan andspreadout with the back of a spoon. Letcool completely. Break into pieces andfinely chop into 1/8-inch pieces. Using astrainer, sift out and discard dust. Setchopped praline aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring cream, butter, and corn syrup to a full boil overmedium heat. Turn off heat. Add 1 poundchocolate; gently swirl pan to coverchocolate with cream, but do not stir. Let stand, undisturbed, 5 minutes.
• Slowly whisk until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; refrigerate,stirring every 15 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, mixture will thickenquickly, so stir every 3 to 5 minutes untilthick enough to scoop, 10 to 20 minutesmore. Stir in praline pieces. Using two spoons or a small ice-cream scoop, form into 1-inch balls; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Chill until firm, but not hard, about 10minutes. Remove from refrigerator; rollin palms to form a ball, and press gentlywith fingers to create irregular shapes.Chill until ready to dip, up to 1 week.Place remaining 12 ounces chocolate ina heatproof bowl over a pan of simmeringwater; stir occasionally until chocolatemelts. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
• Very finely chop the remaining praline pieces in the bowl of afood processor. Do not let praline getpowdery. Place praline in a small bowl. Removecenters from refrigerator. Using onehand, dip one center into melted chocolate, then roll around in your hand tocoat evenly, letting excess drip back intopan. Place truffle in praline. With yourclean hand, cover truffle with praline. Letsit in bowl 20 seconds.
• Lift out, and set on a parchment-linedbaking sheet. Repeat with remainingtruffles. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate 5 minutes to set. You can storetruffles in airtight containers up to 1week at a cool room temperature.

CHOCOLATE PRALINE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350; buttter a 10x15 jelly roll pan; set aside.
• Stir together pecans, brown sugar and 4 T. whipping cream; spread in prepared pan; bake for 20 minutes (coating will be slightly crystallized); stir one time; remove from oven; stir the whole works (should be of "chopped nuts texture/consistence"--will be used for rolling the truffle/chocolate in later on) and cool.
• Microwave the chocolate chips and remaining cream in a large bowl--about 3-4 minutes; whisk several times until smooth (microwave at 15-second intervals to prevent burning); whisk in the butter pieces and the almond liqueur; let stand 20 minutes.
• Beat the chocolate mixture with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until SOFT PEAKS form (do not overbeat!); cover and chill at least four hours.
• Shape chocolate into one-inch balls, roll in pecan-sugar; cover and chill up to one week (who are we kidding? these will NOT last for one week!) or freeze for up to a month (seriously!?).

PUMPKIN PRALINE TRIFLE

Steps:

• For praline:
• Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Bring both sugars and half and half to boil in heavy medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add butter, vanilla, and salt. Attach candy thermometer to pan. Simmer without stirring until temperature registers 260°F, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately mix in pecans. Transfer to prepared sheet, spreading in single layer. Cool completely. Chop into 1/4-inch pieces.
• For mascarpone cream:
• Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in large bowl until firm peaks form. Set aside 1/2 cup mascarpone cream for pumpkin filling.
• For filling:
• Whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in large bowl to blend. Whisk in reserved 1/2 cup mascarpone cream.
• Spread 1/3 cup mascarpone cream over bottom of 8x5-inch trifle dish (12-to 14-cup capacity). Place layer of ladyfingers over cream in bottom of dish (about half of 3-ounce package). Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons rum over. Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin filling over ladyfingers, spreading to edges. Sprinkle 1/3 cup praline over. Spread 1 cup mascarpone cream over. Cover with another layer of ladyfingers. Sprinkle with 11/2 tablespoons rum, then spread 1 cup pumpkin filling over. Sprinkle 1/2 cup praline over. Repeat 1 more time with 1 cup mascarpone cream, ladyfingers, 1 1/2 tablespoons rum, 1 cup pumpkin filling, and 1/2 cup praline. Spread remaining mascarpone cream over. Cover and chill overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Uncover trifle. Sprinkle 1 cup praline decoratively over top (reserve any remaining praline for another use).
• An Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.
• ** Available in the bakery or bread section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

HAZELNUT PRALINE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• PRALINE:.
• Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with the vegetable oil and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and water in a 1-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over high heat until the mixture begins to turn a light caramel colour (about 8 minutes).
• Brush down the sides of the pans two times with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
• When the mixture becomes caramel coloured, quickly stir in the toasted hazelnuts with a wooden spoon, coating them completely with the caramel.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and immediately turn the hazelnut mixture into the oiled cake pan and let it cool completely (about 30 minutes).
• Break the praline into pieces and pulverize to a powder in a food processor.
• TRUFFLES:.
• Place 1 pound of the chocolate in a 2-quart mixing bowl. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for one minute, then whisk until thoroughly blended.
• Mix in 3/4 of the hazelnut praline mixture and blend well.
• Cover and let cool to room temp and chill for 2-3 hours.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Use a piping bag to pipe out 60 1-inch mounds.
• Cover and let chill in freezer for 2 hours.
• Dust your hands with cocoa powder and roll the mounds into balls (these will be the truffle centers) and let chill for another 2 hours in the freezer.
• Remove truffles from the freezer and bring to cool- room temperature so the outer coating won't crack when they are dipped.
• Line 2 more baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Melt and temper the remaining 1 1/2 pounds chocolate.
• Put a truffle centre into the chocolate, coat completely, remove with a fork, and place on the pan.
• Sprinkle the remaining praline on the top of the truffles before the chocolate sets.
• ENJOY!