Tartufo Dolce Caramello – Caramel truffle praline with hazelnuts

Caramel praline with a hint of sea salt and Piedmont hazelnuts

Tartufo Dolce Caramello are caramel truffle pralines from Tastelanghe in Piedmont. A mixture of caramel chocolate and 31% ground hazelnuts from the family's own farm, with nut pieces and a hint of salt, hand-formed. 110 grams.

Tartufo Dolce Caramello are caramel truffle pralines from Piedmont. At Tastelanghe, a mixture of milk chocolate with caramelized sugar and 31% ground Piedmont hazelnuts is created, supplemented with roasted nut pieces and salt. Each praline is formed by hand and individually wrapped.

Sweet, salty, crunchy

First, the caramel chocolate melts away, then the salt provides its accent – nothing intrusive, but rather a quiet counterpoint to the sweetness. Finally, the roasted hazelnut pieces come through. Three layers in one praline, and none of them dominates.

The caramel tone comes from real caramelized sugar, declared at one and a half percent. The chocolate has a cocoa content of at least 32%, plus spices and vanilla aroma.

Why salt belongs in confectionery

Salt in sweets is not a fad, but an old confectioner's rule. It suppresses bitterness while simultaneously highlighting the sweetness – you taste more caramel, even though there is no extra caramel in it.

The dose is crucial. Too little, and the effect is lost; too much, and the praline tastes salty instead of sweet. Here, it is balanced so that you only consciously notice the salt with the second piece.

Thirty-one percent nut

As with its two siblings, the hazelnut content is 31% – ground in the mass and distributed in pieces throughout. The nut serves as a counterweight to the sweetness here; without it, the praline would quickly become too much.

The Tonda Gentile grows on 40 hectares in Somano in the Alta Langa, where the Quazzo family has been tending hazelnut groves since 1891, now in the fifth generation.

The sweet truffle from the Langhe

The name alludes to the famous Alba truffle, whose home is just a few kilometers away. The pralines mimic its shape: round, compact, hand-rolled and therefore never quite uniform.

Individually wrapped and packaged in a box, they make a gift that needs no explanation. For a guest gift from Italy, you rarely need more.

It is striking how long it lingers. Salt and caramel hold each other in the mouth, and even after a while, there is a hint of burnt sugar. This makes it a praline where two pieces are enough.

The sweetest of the three

Among the three Tartufi, this is the most accessible for anyone with a sweet tooth. The Nero demands a love for cocoa, the Bianco is mild, and this one appeals to both camps – sweet enough for some, salty enough for others.

It is therefore the safe choice for guests. You don't have to ask if someone likes dark chocolate.

Store in a cool, dry place, but not in the refrigerator. Sealed, the pralines will last for several months; once opened, it is less about shelf life and more about self-control.

Caramel and single malt know each other well

A strong espresso picks up the Tartufo Dolce Caramello, and so does a glass of Vin Santo. The note of salt also makes it an unusual companion for a whisky – caramel and single malt know each other well.

Serve at room temperature. And anyone serving it after a hearty meal instead of putting out a dessert won't go wrong.

In our shop, you can find more specialties from Tastelanghe made from the same hazelnuts – the Tartufo Dolce Nero for those who prefer bitter flavors, the hazelnut cream with caramel chocolate as a spread, or other pralines and truffles from our assortment.