Dominique Ansel x Neuhaus Praline Collaboration

Zagat reports on the newest Haut Patisserie collection for Neuhaus’ praline, which includes a line of nine pastry chefs from around the world including Chef Dominique Ansel, who represents New York. The full report states:

2013 has definitely been Dominique Ansel’s year. First he created a national phenomenon (and around-the-block lines at his bakery in SoHo) with the cronut, then he wowed sugar freaks with the Frozen S’more, then his Magic Soufflé sold out within 15 minutes of its debut. Now the renowned pastry chef has teamed up with Neuhaus, the Belgian chocolatier, to create a new praline for the company’s new Haute Pâtisserie collection.

The whole line includes pralines designed by nine different pastry chefs, including Christophe Adam from Paris, Martin Chiffers from London, Louie Ye from Shanghai and, of course, Ansel. Ansel’s praline is a Snickers-esque confection made with peanut butter ganache, roasted peanuts and caramel in milk chocolate. Ansel said he was inspired by his first experience trying peanut butter when he was about six years old, and he tested out four or five different recipes to get the taste of his childhood memory exactly right. “The flavor was so intense and exotic to me,” he said. “I wanted to recreate that.”

In addition to the Neuhaus collaboration, Ansel is busy at work on his upcoming cookbook, Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes, which will be released in October 2014 and showcase the inspiration behind some of his more famous recipes, including – yes – the cronut. The book will also explain the basics of baking, for those who aren’t exactly up to world-class pastry chef speed. “The book will show how you can take a simple recipe and turn it around to create something really delicious,” he said.

To curb your sugar cravings in the meantime, pick up one of the Haute Pâtisserie boxes at any Neuhaus shop – it costs $45 and features 27 pralines altogether, three from each of the pastry chefs.