Pralines

The name covers different sweets: pralines may be chocolates filled with a nut-and-sugar mixture, or caramelised nuts that are ground into a paste. In some recipes, that paste is called praline and is used as a filling or flavouring.

Toast hazelnuts or almonds, then stir them into sugar caramel until coated. Spread the mixture on baking paper to cool completely; break it into pieces, or blitz it to a paste, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.

Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight and strong smells. If the room is very warm, refrigerate them in a sealed container and let them come to room temperature before opening, to limit condensation on the chocolate.

Praline paste gives Paris-Brest its characteristic nutty filling, and it also works in chocolate ganache, buttercream and layered cakes. Sprinkle chopped caramelised praline over ice cream just before serving so it stays crisp.

Not as a like-for-like swap: paste blends into creams, batters and ganache, while pieces add crunch. To replace pieces in a topping, use chopped toasted nuts with a little caramelised sugar; to replace paste in a filling, blend finely ground nuts with melted chocolate.

Not always. Chocolate pralines are typically individual chocolates with a filling, while praline can also mean caramelised nuts or a paste made from them; the name depends on the confection and its tradition.

Many pralines contain hazelnuts, almonds or other nuts, and even a chocolate shell may have nut traces from shared equipment. Check the ingredients and allergen information, especially for filled pralines, whose centres can contain nuts even when they are not obvious.