The Sweet Life in New Orleans: All About the Praline; All About the Bed and Breakfast
It is believed that the inspiration for the Praline originated in France at the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte. There, Chef Lassagne, employed by the17th-century sugar industrialist Marshal du Plessis-Praslin (1598–1675) prepared a confection with whole almonds individually coated in light caramelized sugar. Traditional candies of the day were made from dark nougat which covered many nuts to form a sheet which was then cut into squares.
There are several rumored accounts of the actual creation of the candy itself. Some versions have Chef Lassagne getting the idea from children who were scavenging for scraps in the kitchens, nibbling on almonds and caramel left over from one of his pastry creations. In another tale, the children were discovered stealing almonds from the kitchens. When Lassagne followed a delicious smell, he found the children caramelizing the almonds in sugar over a candle. One more version had Lassagne getting the idea from a clumsy young apprentice who knocked over a container of almonds into a vat of cooking caramel.
But the most intriguing account of all paints du Plessis-Praslin as a notorious ladies man, who asked his chef to come up with an irresistible treat he could present to the women he would court. It is said that he would put the sweet sugary nuts into little parcels marked with his name, which is why people began to refer to the sweets as “Praslines”.
French settlers brought the recipe interpretation to Louisiana in the 1700′s, and discovered that pecan trees were plentiful. These nuts were substituted for the almonds and were sweetened with sugar cane. During the 19th century, plantation cooks and later New Orleans chefs added cream to thicken the confection, and thus created what became known throughout the American South as the Praline.
Pralines are a very simple confection. Sugar makes up about 90 percent of the recipe, followed by butter, condensed milk, and vanilla. The mixture is cooked down to the soft-ball stage, then the pecans are added. The basic flavor is that of caramelized sugar, with its slight bitterness and taste of butterscotch. The vanilla is an important but subtle aspect, and a good mouth feel comes from the milk. There are dozens of other flavor varieties today.
In New Orleans, not too far from our bed and breakfast, Loretta’s has pecan, coconut, chocolate, and rum flavors of pralines. Her Pralines are some of the best. At Aunt Sally’s in the French Market, her original product has a beautiful vanilla note and creamy texture. One can watch the manufacturing process in the window, or go in and take in the aroma. After boiling the liquid concoction for a half-hour, they pour the sticky, molten mixture onto a marble slab around pecans. Simple, yet perfect and you’ll be hard put not to buy a box to take home.
The right pronunciation of the word is “prah-LEEN.” The only people who say “PRAY-leen” are those who would say “CRAY-fish” or perhaps if they are from Texas! Our advice? Have a sweet time in New Orleans no matter how you pronounce the candy’s name and check-out all the confection shops in town to look for the flavor that appeals to you the most. The praline has become a favorite treat in NOLA, so go ahead and try the sweet that has left a major mark on New Orleans cuisine! The Innkeepers of the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast can give you a map with all the popular locations that produce the little morsels.
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Have you eaten a New Orleans Praline? Stayed in a Bed and Breakfast? Have your own recipe or story to tell? We’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.
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