Praliné Crumble Sandwich Cookies

Very few tourists make their way to Kevin Lacote’s patisserie. It is located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, not far from the lovely Parc Monceau, which I previously mentioned as a must-visit spot for a picnic in Paris. This is a very local and less touristy area, which means that Lacote’s clientele consists mainly of locals who live or work in the area.

In my first interview with Lacote about seven years ago, he told me a sentence that greatly influenced me: “I started my career relatively late, at the age of 17,” the pastry chef recounted. It might sound a bit unusual, but in France, 15 is the customary age for starting a career in the pastry or culinary field. At this age, young students acquire the basic tools for work, slowly move from place to place, learn new techniques, draw inspiration from their mentors, and develop their independence in the field.

At the outset, Lacote learned cooking, and as part of his studies, he was placed at Le Grand Vefour restaurant, which at that time held three Michelin stars. While working in the restaurant, he realized that the pace and nature of the work in a bustling kitchen were too much for him, as he was naturally less calm. After he switched to the patisserie department of the restaurant, he discovered the world of pastries, to which he felt a deep connection due to its calm, precision, and creativity.

Lacote’s pastries are splendid; he is one of the most talented pastry chefs I know. Despite not being very prominent on social networks, if you’re a pastry enthusiast, you simply must visit him. One of the top-selling delicacies at Lacote is the crumble sandwich cookie filled with praliné. Lacote agreed to share the recipe with me, and I prepared it at home, making a few adaptations. Now, you can make it at home too.

Praliné Crumble Sandwich Cookies
8 big sandwich cookies 

Ingredients
Crumble Dough:
120g butter, softened
110g light brown sugar
120g flour, sifted
120g ground hazelnuts 
2g Fleur-de-Sel

Praliné Filling:
200g praliné paste, recipe inside
80g milk chocolate, melted

Chocolate decoration (optional):
8 milk or dark chocolate discs

Preparation
1. Crumble Dough: In a mixer bowl, whisk together butter and sugar. 
2. Add flour, ground hazelnuts and Fleur-de-Sel. Mix until a soft dough forms. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it on a parchment paper.
3. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of about 3 mm. Place the dough with the parchment paper in the refrigerator for two hours, or preferably overnight.
4. Praliné Filling: Mix praliné and melted chocolate until you get a uniform mixture. Pour the praliné into a silicone mold with 5-6 cm diameter cavities shaped like discs. Pour about 30 grams into each cavity, for a total of 8 praliné discs. Place them in the freezer overnight.

Assembly
5. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (Silpain).
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, gently peel off the baking paper, and cut out 16 small circles or delicate flowers with an 8 cm diameter.
7. Arrange the cut dough on the lined baking tray, making sure to leave some space between them, and bake for about 12 minutes, until golden and firm. Remove from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.
8. Remove the praliné discs from the mold and place one on top of each of 8 cookies. Close with the remaining cookies to create 8 sandwich cookies.
9. If desired, you can attach a small chocolate disc to the top of each cookie (you can “glue” it using a bit of praliné or melted chocolate).

Bon-Appétit
Sharon