National Pralines Day
June 24
There are three main types of pralines: Belgian, French and American. Belgian pralines are also known as soft-center Belgian chocolates, “Belgian chocolate fondants” and “chocolate bonbons” in English-speaking countries. They were first introduced by Jean Neuhaus II, a Belgian chocolatier, in 1912. Belgian pralines consist of a chocolate shell with a softer, sometimes liquid, filling, traditionally made of different combinations of hazelnut, almonds, marzipan, salted caramel, coffee, syrup, often milk-based pastes, a spirit, cream liqueur and cherry. French pralines began in the home of the French Count of Plessis-Praslin (1598 – 1675); the word praline deriving from the name of the French Count, Praslin. American pralines are a softer, creamier combination of syrup and pecans, hazelnuts or almonds with milk or cream, resembling fudge. French settlers brought the recipe for pralines to New Orleans, where sugarcane was plentiful. During the 19th century, New Orleans chefs substituted pecans for almonds, added cream to thicken the confection, and thus created what became known throughout the American South as the praline. In New Orleans, Acadiana, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pralines are sometimes called “pecan candy.”
National Flying Saucer/UFO Day
June 24
Flying Saucer Day marks the anniversary in 1947 an amateur pilot, Kenneth Arnold, was flying a small plane near Mount Rainier in Washington when he spotted nine circular, high-speed objects in the sky. Arnold gauged the objects to be about 45-50 feet wide. They flew between two mountains spaced 50 miles apart in just 1 minute, 42 seconds which implies the speed of 1,700 mph, or three times faster than any manned aircraft of that era. His account ignited a craze regarding aliens and sightings have been reported ever since.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Charles Whitman – Texas Tower Murderer (17 people) – passed at age 25 – born in Lake Worth, Florida
Patti LaBelle – Pro Boxer – passed at age 87 – born in Manassa, Colorado.
