Chile Macadamia Brittle Recipes

CHILE-MACADAMIA BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Lightly oil a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet, then warm in oven.
• Shake nuts in a coarse sieve to remove any nut powder (this will create a clearer brittle).
• Cook sugar and water in a deep 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until golden. Immediately stir in red pepper flakes and nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are golden, about 1 minute. Quickly pour onto foil, tilting baking sheet to spread brittle evenly before it hardens. (If caramel hardens too fast, put in a 400°F oven until warm enough to spread, 1 to 2 minutes.) Cool brittle on baking sheet on a rack until completely hardened, then break into large pieces.

TROPICAL FRUIT SPLITS WITH RUM SAUCE AND CHILE-MACADAMIA BRITTLE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Stir together rum, boiling-hot water, and vanilla. Cook sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Remove pan from heat and carefully stir in rum mixture (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). (Pan is removed from the flame to prevent alcohol from igniting. If it does ignite, simply allow flames to burn out on their own.) Simmer sauce until smooth. Remove pan from heat and when bubbling subsides stir in butter. Cool sauce to room temperature.
• Grill fruit:
• Prepare grill for cooking. Standing mango upright, cut 1 lengthwise slice from each broad side of mango (be careful because peeled mango is slippery) and discard pit.
• Cut each papaya half lengthwise into thirds.
• Standing pineapple upright, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Halve bananas lengthwise. Sprinkle all fruit lightly on 1 side with chili powder.
• Grill fruit on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until grill marks form, about 1 minute. Turn fruit over and grill 1 minute more. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into decorative pieces.
• Coarsely chop three fourths of brittle, reserving remainder for garnish.
• Put 3 scoops ice cream into each of 8 dishes and top with grilled fruit and sauce. Sprinkle splits with chopped brittle and garnish with larger pieces of brittle and coconut.

HOLIDAY MACADAMIA NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (180 C).
• Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast them in the oven until light golden, 4-6 minutes, turning the nuts after 3 minutes so they toast evenly. Remove them from the oven and the hot pan to let them cool to room temperature. coarsely chop the nuts and set aside.
• Put the sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the corn syrup and water turn stove to medium heat, stir to mix, bring to a boil. Continue boiling, undisturbed, until a layer of bubbles forms on top, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue to boil undisturbed for 5 minutes longer. I place a wooden spoon on top of the foil to keep down.
• Remove the foil, add the butter, gently stir with a wooden spoon a few times. When the butter has melted and is combined with the sugar mixture -- and forms a soft boil add your candy thermometer continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 300 degrees (150 C), about 8-10 minutes (depending on your cookware). Meanwhile, coat a 12-by-17-inch (30-by-43-cm) sheet pan with vegetable oil or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
• As soon as the sugar mixture reaches the desired temperature, immediately but carefully stir in the combined salt and baking soda and chopped macadamia nuts. Using a long metal spatula, spread the nut mixture as thinly and evenly as possible over the prepared pan. Leave the brittle to cool to room temperature. The brittle will harden very quickly.
• When the brittle is completely cooled and hardened, run a clean, dry towel over the brittle's surface to absorb some of the oil. Carefully cut or tap the brittle with a mallet to break it into irregular pieces. Store in one or more airtight containers at cool room temperature.

MACADAMIA NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the nuts after 5 minutes. Cool and then coarsely chop. Set aside.
• Place the sugar in a medium deep saucepan. Add the corn syrup and water, and over medium heat, bring to a boil. Boil until a layer of bubbles forms on top, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue to boil 5 minutes longer.
• Remove the foil, add the butter, and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer registers 300 degrees F, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Immediately stir in the salt, baking soda, and reserved nuts.
• Meanwhile, coat with vegetable oil or spray a 12 by 17-inch half sheet pan. Spread the nut mixture over the prepared pan, spreading it as thin as possible with a long, metal spatula. When cool, run a clean, dry towel over the top to absorb some of the oil.
• Cut or break the brittle into desired pieces.