Praline paste

To make praline paste, nuts are toasted and coated in caramel, cooled until hard, then ground in a food processor until the brittle turns from crumbs into a glossy paste. Classic versions use about equal weights of nuts and sugar. The nutty, caramel flavor is the heart of the Paris-Brest.

Pastry chefs stir praline paste into buttercream, pastry cream, ganache and mousse, or mix it with chocolate and crisp wafer flakes for crunchy cake layers. Like nut butter, it separates in storage, so stir it before using.