Pink pralines (almonds coated in pink sugar, Lyon style)

Dry the almonds in the oven at about 190C for about 10 minutes to develop the nutty aroma.

Use a brush on the sides of the pan to stop splatters caramelizing; cook the syrup to 124C, checking with a thermometer.

Put the sugar and water in the pan over high heat; leave it to start bubbling without stirring much.

Once bubbling, add a drop or a few drops of red food coloring.

Turn off the heat just below 124C, add the almonds off the heat and keep stirring to coat until the sugar cools, firms and turns to a pink sugar.

Turn out onto a silicone mat, separate the almonds and set the leftover pink sugar aside to reuse.

Second coating: start a syrup with 50 g fresh sugar and the same amount of water, add a tiny bit more coloring, then melt in 50 g of the pink sugar residue.

Cook to 124C, take off the heat and add the almonds, stirring regularly so they do not clump.

Third coating: pour syrup over the almonds in a bowl to coat them evenly; three coatings is the traditional method.

Optional: dry the pralines in the oven at 70 degrees for 30 minutes to remove the white edges.

Tip: after the first coating, pour the syrup over the almonds in a stainless steel bowl and swirl the bowl to coat evenly, to avoid too many crumbs.