Hazelnut Praline Truffles Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Chop the hazelnuts and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. (If the hazelnuts have skin on them, roast them for 25 minutes.) Set aside to cool.
• Chop the chocolates finely and place in a bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it boils. Immediately pour the hot cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with the chocolates. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. (If the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir for a few minutes just until it melts.) Whisk in the hazelnut liqueur, coffee, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour until pliable but firm enough to scoop.
• With 2 teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres. Roll the chocolate in the chopped hazelnuts and chill again. Truffles are best when they're allowed to set overnight in the refrigerator.

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!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast them in the oven until they are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel, and rub nuts in towel vigorously between your hands to remove the brown skins. Lightly brush an 8-by-12-inch rimmed baking pan with the oil. Spread the peeled nuts in the pan.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, brushing down sides of pan with a damp pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals that may form, until mixture is amber, about 9 minutes; do not stir. (Pan may be swirled gently about halfway through to incorporate any uncooked sugar.) Pour directly over nuts to create a thin layer. Set aside to cool, at least 30 minutes.
• Place half the praline in the bowl of a food processor; process until the praline is very fine with no sharp pieces. Cut the remaining praline into small pieces for decoration.

Steps:

• Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook, without stirring, swirling pan, just until a golden caramel. Add hazelnuts, stirring until coated well. Immediately pour mixture onto baking sheet and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove praline from baking sheet and break into pieces.
• Praline may be eaten as candy or ground in a food processor and used as a dessert topping.