Flavors of the USAPreparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: A few minutes
Cooling time: At least 3 hours

Mindy Segal has recently opened her first solo venture, Hot Chocolate, a quirky urban café in Chicago. An alumna of some of Chicago's most prestigious kitchens, Segal gained national attention as Pastry Chef at mk, where her dessert innovations and unique presentations garnered critical acclain.

Salted Almond Caramel Base

1. Roughly chop half of the almonds; combine with the remaining whole almonds and set aside.
2. In a heavy-duty saucepan, combine the light brown sugar, butter, honey, dark brown sugar, vanilla and salt; mix well. Bring to a boil and cook about 1 min.
3. Add the cream, combine well, and turn the heat off; add the nuts.
4. Spray an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 bread tin with vegetable oil spray; line with plastic wrap. Pour in the nut mixture and spread evenly. Fill the pan so the mixture reaches 3/4 in. high.

Milk Chocolate and Praline Mousse

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and keep warm over the water bath.
2. Whip the heavy cream to medium stiffness; reserve.
3. Soften the praline paste over warm water or in a mixer; set aside.
4. Soften the gelatin in cold water for 10 min. Heat 1/3 cup water and add the softened gelatin; mix and dissolve.
5. Add the gelatin to the melted chocolate. Whisk to combine.
6. Add the praline paste, along with additional hot water as needed to maintain a soft texture.
7. Fold in the cream in stages until smooth.
8. Pour 1/2-in. layer of mousse over the nut mixture. Reserve any leftover mousse for another use. Cover and refrigerate the terrine for 2 hours or overnight to set.

Glaze

1. Combine the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Let sit 1 min.
2. Whisk together until thoroughly combined. Set aside to thicken slightly and cool enough to prevent melting the mousse when the candy is assembled.

Assembly

1. Unmold the terrine onto a cutting board.
2. Cut into strips as desired with a clean, hot knife.
3. Place the pieces on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Pour the glaze over each, and refrigerate to set.