Amandes Bellecour®

A Word from our Chocolate Master

The many steps that go into making Amandes de Bellecour cannot be performed by machines but require qualified manpower. The nougatine is shaped in our workshop. The marzipan used for the fillings is made with almonds grown in Drôme Provençale. We use Lauranne or Ferragnes varieties. The pistachios used in our marzipan are grown in Sicily, in the village of Bronte. These are the most flavourful pistachios around and are much sought after. The oranges come from Sicily and are crystallised by us before they too are turned into marzipan. The Amandes de Bellecour almond praline is made using nothing but Lauranne or Ferragnes almonds. What makes it special is that it is not caramelised, thus emphasising instead the flavour of the roasted almond. Amandes de Bellecour are coated in meringue by hand. This is in two stages with a drying period in between. Very popular at the beginning of the 20th century, nougatine-based confectioneries fell out of fashion for a while but are now growing in popularity once more. Meringue-coated confectioneries are still very rare. There are only a few artisan companies who still know how to do this.