Happy Valentines Day!
A little more than a year ago, I was having a nice e-chat with my friend Romain, who writes The Food Trotter. He had just moved from Paris to Lyon and was telling me of some of the local specialties, one being the iconic Lyonnaise Tarte aux Prâlines Roses (Pink Praline Tart). Naturally, I was intrigued, and that intrigue led to an obsessive desire to try my own hand at making one.
That led me to doing some research. There are many recipes online for this tart — each one different from the other — and I didn’t know where to begin trusting any one of them. Some had eggs or other thickeners, some made it with whole pink pralines (more on them later), some were baked, some not. Some required a thermometer, while others used Grandmère’s intuition. Sheesh.
So, I donned my thinking cap and tried to figure out what would work best for me. A couple of things became clear. First, I wanted to do what Grandmère did. I have never been one for thermometers — they never seem to work for me (probably because I buy cheap ones). Before thermometers, people (you know, people like Grandmère) had ways of knowing when something was just right. Second, I wanted to make the smoothest pink praline tart ever made.
Let’s pause to discuss pink pralines. Pink pralines are almonds coated in a pink sugar crust. They are hard to find in the United States and I ended up ordering mine online from someplace in Québec, Canada. If you get to Lyon, or have a friend in Lyon, those are your best bets. There are several recipes online to make your own prâlines roses, but I wasn’t up for that level of failure.
I blitzed the living daylights (as my mother would say) out of the pralines in the food processor until I had a very sweet, pink sand. (Note: this is not a natural color, for sure, but it’s pretty, so I don’t care.) I used my standard recipe for the pâte sucrée. No brainer there; it always works and it worked this time. And then I took bits of advice from perhaps four different recipes that were in French, to see what would happen. And it all worked. And it was good!
Oh, and I had a little gold leaf on hand so I coarsely leafed a couple of pralines for a garnish. The gold leaf was over-the-top, but everything about this tart is over-the-top, so pourquoi pas?
Remember, in the words of Kay Thompson in the Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn movie Funny Face, “Think Pink!”
~ David
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John / Kitchen Riffs
February 12, 2022 at 9:10 amNow that I’ve seen pink, I’m definitely thinking pink! This is gorgeous. And a dish I’ve never heard of. Glad you were ambitious and made this so we could all get a good look at it. And ” . . ., but it’s pretty, so I don’t care” is a lovely motto. Such a fun post — thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 12, 2022 at 9:44 amThanks, John — maybe I should make that my new tagline for C&L. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Jill Becker
February 12, 2022 at 9:12 amlooks delightful. tempting to make…
Cocoa & Lavender
February 12, 2022 at 9:45 amLet me know if you need a source for the prâlines, Jill.
Gerlinde @ Sunnycovechef.com
February 12, 2022 at 9:55 amI love eating them when I am in Europe but I didn’t know they could be made into a tart . It’s good to learn new things.
David Scott Allen
February 14, 2022 at 9:40 pmI had never even heard of them, Gerlinde, but they are so special! I wish they were easier to find in the United States.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
February 12, 2022 at 12:59 pmOne of my favorite things from Lyon! I just asked a friend to bring me some back from Pralus, but she brought another brand. Good, but just not Pralus. I thank Jill from Mad About Macarons for telling me where to go for the original source on these. So good as they are both almond and hazelnut (no whole nut in the middle, either). Hope you can try them soon, but your tart looks absolutely delectable, in the meantime!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:42 pmSo glad you like the tart, and thanks for the recommendation. I guess I will just have to go back to France soon to get some more. Right?
Eha
February 12, 2022 at 3:12 pm*wicked grin Don’t do pink ! Altho’ hugely romantic don’t have time for Valentine’s Day ! Don’t use cream . . . but, but DO remember ‘Funny Face’ and Kay Thompson . . . !!! Glad you enjoyed . . . !!!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:42 pmWell, aren’t you the party pooper? I think it’s important to keep a day aside that special for the ones we love.
Eha
February 14, 2022 at 11:12 pmOh yes . . . I so agree ! But why can’t I pick the day and keep it to ourselves and have a fabulous wonderful time when others walk along pedestrian ways . . . and it will be our secret !!! ( Must say I do like your new photo . .) . !!)
Inger
February 12, 2022 at 4:01 pmBeautiful David. Almost a kind of ornate frangipane. Love the touch of gold foil too.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:43 pmInger — The gold leaf may have been above and beyond, but it was fun to do. It seems less of a frangipane and more of a nut cream tart. I can’t explain it any other way.
Inger @ Art of Natural Liivng
March 7, 2022 at 1:49 pmYes, just relooked and that makes sense given the amount of cream. The color is just glorious!
sippitysup
February 12, 2022 at 4:38 pmThink Pink! I do remember that number and it’s yards of silky smooth chiffon. I am guessing you got the filling of this tart just as smooth. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:44 pmWell, Greg, maybe not as smooth as chiffon, but it was pretty tasty and very smooth.
Sherry M
February 12, 2022 at 6:47 pmis that a new profile photo? very nice. we call them sugared almonds in australia; they are very smooth and come in various colours. but these are so deliciously pink david! what a lovely tart (as the bishop said to the … ummm working girl).
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:46 pmThanks, Sherry. Yes, it’s a new profile photo. I’ve had several comments about how serious I looked in the other, so I thought I’d look for one that was a little more friendly. This is of me in Rome in October.
I wonder if your sugared almonds are similar to Jordan almonds that we have here in the United States? I’ve never had anything like these pink pralines — so unique!
Ronit Penso Tasty Eats
February 12, 2022 at 8:21 pmI’m a big fan of almonds in any form, so I know I would love this beautiful tart.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:46 pmYou and me both, RonIt. Almond desserts (along with lemon desserts) are my favorites.
Frank @Memorie di Angelina
February 13, 2022 at 6:47 amThis tart looks and sounds lovely, David. I have to say I’d forgotten all about pralines. And had never even heard of pink ones! Which is wonderful, since it means that even after a lifetime of loving, cooking and learning … there’s alway something more to learn!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:47 pmThanks, Frank. I feel exactly the same way when I read many of your recipes. I’m always so excited to learn something new and different.
Jeff the Chef
February 13, 2022 at 12:24 pmThis looks so delicious, I just want to dive right in! I laughed out loud about your “level of failure” comment, because your work is SO spectacular!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:47 pmJeff, you are so kind! I need more friends like you in my life.
Pauline McNee
February 13, 2022 at 4:12 pmWhat a gorgeous tart David, and I am very happy to think pink. All of your research, even to the level of contacting Food Trotter, surely paid off. I hope you savoured every mouthful of your masterpiece. We should use the colour pink more often in our cooking. Lovely post thankyou.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:49 pmThanks, Pauline. Every month, along with friends of ours, we have a thematic dinner. Several times the theme was pink. It’s so fun to think of all the things we can make that are pink…
Fran @ G'day Souffle
February 14, 2022 at 7:23 pmI’ve never heard of pink praline before but this looks superb! Every time I make pastry dough using confectioner’s sugar, it tends to fall apart. However, it does seem to work if you press it into the tart shell instead of rolling it out. Always learning something new!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 14, 2022 at 9:50 pmThis particular recipe for the dough is very forgiving, Fran. I hope try it and like it! And the praline filling is amazing!
Valentina
February 16, 2022 at 2:17 pmThis is so beautiful, David. And I don’t think it could be presented on a more perfect platter. Also, I never heard of pink pralines. So fun! Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day to you and Mark. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
February 26, 2022 at 8:54 amThanks, Valentina — until this recipe, I hadn’t heard of them either, but I do believe I saw them in sweet shops in the south of France. It was fun to make.
Raymund
February 16, 2022 at 4:13 pmThe things that you do to try a recipe, love the dedication and I also do this, specially in New Zealand where we dont have much choices like in the states, like you I always tend to order ingredients online specially when I see a recipe in different blogs that I want to try. Those pralines looks pretty, love the colours, now you inspired me to find for those pink pralines too.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 26, 2022 at 8:55 amI know, Raymund… I’m pretty crazy when I get obsessed with a recipe! I hope you can find them!
2pots2cook
February 25, 2022 at 1:03 amBeautiful, beautiful tart. I thank Christina for directing me to Maison Pralus ! Must do!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 26, 2022 at 8:56 amThat’s what I love about our blogging community — such good resources!
The-FoodTrotter
March 10, 2022 at 10:03 amFinally I’ve some time to come to your website to admire your stunning tarte aux pralines roses! I definitely to try this recipe again! I am again confused about the fact it’s not that cloying for something made out a candy!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 20, 2022 at 7:01 amI know — I expected it to be Uber sweet but it’s not. Thank you again for introducing me to this specialty from Lyon!
John
March 19, 2022 at 6:28 pmOh, I’d love to try this one day. It’s a stunner! I’ve seen pink pralines in specialty stores, but they are a little hard to come by. Unlike the clichéd bomboniere sugared almonds which probably wouldn’t cut it for this recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
March 20, 2022 at 6:59 amThe standard sugared almonds would be a disaster for this! And you would probably end up with bleeding gums from the shards of sugar!