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praline

/ˌpreɪˈlin/
/ˈpreɪlin/
IPA guide

Other forms: pralines

Praline is a sweet candy made from pecans and a whole lot of sugar. A fudgy, cream-based kind of praline is especially popular in the southern part of the United States.

Officially, praline can refer to any confection that combines nuts and sugar. The original pralines were made in 16th century France and named after the nobleman whose cook invented them, coating almonds with caramelized sugar. European pralines are also commonly ground up and used as a filling in cookies and cakes. French settlers in Louisiana swapped almonds for pecans and thickened their praline with cream, a confection that remains popular today.

Definitions of praline
  1. noun
    cookie-sized candy made of brown sugar and butter and pecans
    see moresee less
    type of:
    candy, confect
    a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts
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