The praline success story and our selection of the best addresses

Anne Debbasch | 3/6/24

While the original recipe is attributed to Évariste Festal, a pastry chef in Valence d'Agen in the early XXᵉe century, it was Gaston Lenôtre who truly contributed to its national renown. Discover our five best addresses today.

The combination of hazelnut or almond meringue and buttercream or praline mousseline is a hit, but it takes know-how to make it a success. The dried-fruit meringue is fragile, and is often replaced by a softer dacquoise, while the buttercream can be easily sliced. This necessary touch explains why it's so rare today, even if some chefs don't hesitate to put it back on the menu.

The success of Maison Lenôtre, Paris

Success is the Parisian version of the Sainte-Eve that Gaston Lenôtre made in Normandy. The pastry chef had the idea of reworking his recipe to adapt it to the tastes of the capital: an almond meringue topped with a nougatine cracker cream. The cake was an instant hit, and the name was born. Still popular today, it's the family dessert par excellence.
► www.lenotre.com

The praline pecan success of Hugo & Victor, Paris

In Hugues Pouget's version, the cookie is a hazelnut dacquoise, the classic praline buttercream becomes a butter-rich, vanilla-flavored mousseline. "At theheart, I add a hazelnut-pecan praline insert. As the pecan praline is a little dry, I add hazelnut."For even more deliciousness, the cake is enrobed in blond chocolate.

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Joël Baud's praline success in Besançon

"TheHouse is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, I'm the 4th generation and I'm striving to perpetuate the traditional recipe for praline success."Joël Baud, Relais Desserts pastry chef, adds a praline buttercream to a base of almond success, topped with toasted flaked almonds. "Therecipe is unchanged, only the selection of ingredients has changed. For the praline, I choose Piedmont hazelnuts for their explosive taste, which I buy directly from the producer, and Marcona almonds from Spain."It's a special cake, crunchy when it comes out of the oven, which needs to be moistened again to take on its legendary softness. We melt!

Christophe Michalak's peanut praline success story, Paris

Pistachio, peanut or hazelnut, Christophe Michalak brings success back to life. "I wanted to get back to cakes with lots of texture, chewiness and intensity of taste. Success lends itself particularly well to this."So Christophe Michalak reworks the recipes, bringing them up to date, less sweet, less fatty, but still just as gourmet. On a regular basis, he proposes his own success, which he interprets as he sees fit. Right now, he's offering a peanut-flavored Snickers-style version that you just can't get enough of.
► www.christophemichalak.com

©DelphineMichalak

The success of Gaël Clavière, pastry chef at the Hôtel de Matignon and the Prime Minister's Palace, Paris

The uniqueness of his desserts, of course, the taste and textures, but also the artistic approach to each dressing. For this success on the plate, we find crushed hazelnuts on top, a salted butter caramel sauce that the pastry chef delicately places on the potter's wheel turntable to create a hypnotizing visual effect. You'll be enchanted.