Pralines Roses
Almonds are candied with orange blossom and vanilla in chef Daniel Boulud’s recipe for Lyon’s iconic pink treat.
- Makes
3½ cups
- Time
20 minutes
Crackly with sugar and ranging from hot pink to deep red, pralines roses are synonymous with Lyon. You’ll find the candy everywhere in the French city, piled high in épicerie windows, folded into baked goods, and scattered over desserts. Each confectioner in Lyon makes theirs a little different, but the result is always eye-catching and jewel-like. Chef Daniel Boulud, a Lyon native, remembers pralines roses as part of a weekly ritual when he was growing up: “Every Sunday my family would go to the bakery to buy brioche aux pralines, which we would enjoy for breakfast or dessert.” The praline’s candy-like charm goes far beyond brioche, working beautifully in ice cream, île flottante, tarts, and any dessert that could use an extra hit of sweetness, color, and sparkle.
Featured in “Don’t Mess With the Food of Lyon” by Adam Sachs and “The Allure of Pralines Roses, an Eye-Popping Treat From Lyon” by Ryan McCarthy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ tsp. Preema red food color powder
- 2 cups whole almonds (8 oz.)
- 1 Tbsp. orange blossom water
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped (pod reserved for another use), or 1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
Step 1
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, stir together the sugar, food color, and ½ cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 244°F on a candy thermometer, 8–12 minutes. Stir in the almonds, orange blossom water, and vanilla. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture is crystallized, 4–8 minutes more. Spread the praline roses on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside until cool, about 20 minutes.
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