Krokant Recipes

KROKANT

Steps:

• Coat the back of a baking sheet, a metal rolling pin, a 1 1/2-inch round plain-edge cookie cutter, and the blade of a large chef's knife or a pizza wheel with the vegetable oil; set aside.
• In a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar, corn syrup, and the water to a boil without stirring. Brush down the sides of the pan two times with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Add the split vanilla bean and cook until the mixture registers 240°F on a sugar thermometer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula.
• Add the almonds, salt, and butter, and stir constantly until the mixture registers 290°F on a sugar thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour the mixture onto the oiled baking sheet. With the oiled rolling pin, roll out the mixture to 1/8 inch thick. With a fork, remove the vanilla bean. It is necessary to work very fast because the mixture sets up rapidly and becomes too brittle to cut. Cut out circles with the oiled round cutter and cut the remainder of the krokant into 1-inch squares with the oiled chef's knife or pizza wheel.
• Let the krokant cool completely (about 30 minutes), then separate it into the circles and squares with your fingers. The remaining pieces can be ground to a fine powder in a food processor for use in other recipes. At this point, in a tightly covered container, between sheets of waxed paper, krokant will keep for 2 weeks at room temperature.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 25-30). Place a piece of the krokant in the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the piece from the chocolate, gently shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the krokant out onto the paper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of krokant. After dipping 4 pieces, press the tines of the fork onto the top of each piece to form a line design before the chocolate sets up.
• Let the chocolate set up at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Place the finished krokant in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container, the krokant will keep for 1 week at room temperature.
• Substitute toasted, skinned, finely chopped hazelnuts for the almonds.

FRANKFURTER KRANZ (BUTTERCREAM FILLED CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Mix in grated lemon rind.
• Sift flour again with cornstarch and baking powder.
• Gradually stir in butter-egg mixture until thoroughly blended.
• Butter and flour a cake ring mold and tap out excess flour.
• Pour batter into pan.
• Bake in the lower half of oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour-test with a toothpick.
• Cool in pan on a rack.
• Praline topping or Krokant----------------.
• Place the butter and sugar in a fry pan over low heat, and stir constantly until the sugar is lightly browned and melted.
• Stir in nuts and pour onto a greased or buttered flat serving plate.
• When cold and hard, crack praline topping into small pieces.
• Butter Cream Filling---------------.
• Over low heat, cook sugar, water and cornstarch, stirring until dissolved.
• Bring to a boil, and stir until mixture forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water-238°F on candy thermometer.
• VERY slowly, stirring constantly, in a very thin stream, pour boiling hot syrup inches.
• If you add the boiling syrup to quickly it will scramble the egg yolks-so pour in the thickness of a thread, stirring vigorously.
• Beat until mixture cools and is smooth.
• Cool completely.
• Beat softened butter into the cooled creme, adding your favorite flavoring, 3 to 4 tbsp rum, arrack, kirch or fruit liquor, or 1 tbsp vanilla extract, or 2 and 1/2 oz melted and cooked semi sweet baking chocolate, or 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts.
• Cut cake into 3 layers.
• Spread 1 cup of buttercream filling onto bottom and middle layers, saving enough to cover outside of cake.
• Stack layers and spread rest of filling on top and all sides.
• Sprinkle praline topping or Korant on top and sides of cake.
• Chill at least 24 hours before serving.

ALMOND CROQUANT

Steps:

• Brush a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with butter; set aside. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush away any sugar crystals on side of pan to prevent recrystallization. Cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture reaches soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer (238 degrees).
• Stir in almonds; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is light amber in color.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; spread quickly into a 1/4-inch-thick layer with an oiled metal spatula. Let sit 2 minutes before cutting, if desired, with a sharp, oiled knife. (Or let cool completely before breaking into pieces.) Set sheet aside until completely cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

FRANKFURTER KRANZ A LA DR. OETKER

Steps:

• 1. DOUGH:.
• 2. Preheat oven to 360ºF.
• 3. Cream the butter til fluffy.
• 4. Add sugar 1 tbsp at the time, mix until creamy.
• 5. Add eggs 1 at a time, mix until smooth.
• 6. Mix flour, starch, baking powder and salt.
• 7. Add flour mixture 1 tbsp at a time until fully absorbed.
• 8. Pour into a greased & floured bundt pan.
• 9. Bake for 35 to 45 minute toothpick should come out clean.
• 10. BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:.
• 11. Prepare pudding per package directions using only 1 1/2 cup milk.
• 12. Cool pudding, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin while cooling.
• 13. Bring butter to almost room temperature.
• 14. Cream butter.
• 15. Stir 1 cup pudding into creamed butter 1 tbsp at a time (be sure temperatures are pretty even and not to cold, otherwise the mix will separate).
• 16. KROKANT or BRITTLE:.
• 17. In a nonstick pan over medium heat stir butter and sugar until sugar is slightly brown.
• 18. Stir in nuts and cook on low heat until it all has a nice cognac color (220ºF brittle stage on candy thermometer).
• 19. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet and let cool completely.
• 20. Break into real small pieces (English toffee bits could be substituted).
• 21. ASSEMBLY.
• 22. Cut cooled cake in three layers.
• 23. Spread 1/2 cup butter cream frosting on each cut layer and reassemble cake.
• 24. Frost cake outside with remaining butter cream frosting, reserving about 1/3 cup.
• 25. Sprinkle krokant or brittle over entire cake.
• 26. Decorate with reserved butter cream frosting.
• 27. It's best if it has a day to sit in the refrigerator.