Authentic French Praline Recipe


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For La Toussaint, Halloween to others, us Creoles love to enjoy eating pralines. It has been said that Pralines, like Halloween candy, is our creamy sugary decant treat.[1]

Eating candy on this day of the dead is one of the few things we have in common with our American counterparts.




Origins : Where Do Pralines Come From ?



Pralines or Plarines

Depending on which dialect of French used by Creoles of the old Louisiana Purchase French territory, pralines or plarines will be heard. Both prononciations are corrected. Out of my young life living in New Orleans, I have heard pralines and plarines used to refer to our historic candy. I have also used pralines and plarines interchangeably as well. This will tend to occur when Creole families intermarry and have two or more different French dialects as mother tongue. In my own family, we have five different dialects of French as our Mother Tongue. That being said the word pralines is more well known and dominantly used than plarines to refer to these creamy nutty delights.[2].[3].[4]



Different Pralines amongst the French Community

Pralines made in France are made of sugar, milk and almonds. We Creoles refer to French made pralines as the Original Pralines. Pralines made in Canada are made of maple syrup, milk and almonds.[ ]. In Wisconsin, pralines are made with maple sugar, milk and choice of nuts of pecans or walnuts. Missouri made pralines are made with maple syrup just like the Pralines made in Canada and Wisconsin, milk and Missouri homegrown pecans. Pralines made in New Orleans are made with Louisiana Sugar cane brown or white sugar, milk, pecans, walnuts, or peanuts. St. James Parish pralines are made of wild pecans, sugar cane sugar and milk. The difference between the renowned New Orleans Creole Pralines and the Creole pralines of St James Parish is that the St James Parish pralines are white and flavor is different.[ 2].



Quick Facts/Trivia

Pralines are made in Belgium and Belgian pralines are made in Michigan. Germany also make pralines as well.



Reference:

[1] Louisiana’s French Culinary & Linguistic Traditions : Facts vs Fiction Before and Since Cajunization, LaFleur II, John, Costelle, Brian, BookRix, February 15, 2013, History

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“Les Pralines (Fr) A hard pecan candy, made from a boiled mixture of sugar, milk, vanilla and pecans. Pralines are as famous as New Orleans where it originated. Every Creole family in and beyond New Orleans has savored this tasty confection which is well known throughout the French speaking triangle. Some are embellished with pecans, others with walnuts. Nowadays, some embellishments includes berries and even fruits.”



[2] Cabanocey: The History, Customs and Folklore of St James Parish, Bourgeois, Lillian C., Pelican Publishing, 2010, September 23, p.132-33

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“Dr. W. A. Reed tells us in his fine book, “Louisiana-French, that pralines were first made by the chef the Maréchal du Plessis-Praslin in the early 17th century and that this confection bears his name. Often English-speaking people and Acadians erroneously plarine for praline. The first St. Jamesians found wild pecans here and later sugar became the main crop, it is not surprising that pralines have long been a favorite.” “They are creamy white and have a different flavor.”



[3] Dialect Notes, Volume 4

Roth, James, Secretary of the Gulf State, University of Alabama Press, 1917, English, p.346

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“Plarine - (plâ-rîne) n. praline. New Orleans”



[4] A Glossary of Mississippi Valley French, 1673-1850, Issue 12-13, McDermott, Francis, John, M.O., Saint Louis, Washington University, p.128

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“Praline, n.f. A sugar and a nut candy. In Canadia, a candy of maple syrup and almonds; by metathesis the word there has become plarine (Clapin. 246). In Louisiana, a candy is brown sugar and pecans.”







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