Spiced Almond Brittle Recipes

ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add almonds, sugar, and syrup. Cook and stir the almonds until the mixture turns caramel in color, about 6 minutes.
• Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a thin layer. Cool until the mixture hardens and break into pieces to serve.

FALL SALAD WITH SPICY BRITTLE

Steps:

• For the spicy brittle: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat the sugar, corn syrup, butter and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the sugar has melted. Stop stirring and continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure it cooks evenly, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. While this is cooking, combine the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne in a small bowl.
• Carefully, but moving quickly, stir the almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios and spice mixture into the sugar syrup until the nuts are coated. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out as evenly as possible using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle over the sea salt. Allow to cool completely, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool, break into shards.
• For the salad: Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
• When ready to serve, arrange the salad on a large platter in layers: escarole, radicchio, carrots, apples, onion, raisins and bacon.
• Heat the skillet with the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the vinaigrette, mustard and honey and cook, stirring, until warm. Pour the dressing over the salad. Arrange the spicy brittle shards over the top. Serve immediately.

SPICED ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with parchment. (Do not spray or grease.), In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, wash down the sides of the pan to eliminate sugar crystals. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 260° (hard-ball stage). , Stir in almonds, butter and seasonings; cook until thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage), stirring frequently, about 8 minutes longer., Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Immediately pour onto prepared pan, spreading as thin as possible. Cool completely., Break brittle into pieces. Store between layers of waxed paper in airtight containers.

SMOKED ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick silicone mat and lightly butter.
• In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil until it registers 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Transfer the almonds to the oven on another large-rimmed baking sheet until warmed through, but not toasted.
• When the syrup reaches 239 degrees F, stir the almonds into the syrup with 1 teaspoon salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is 300 degrees F and a rich caramel color; immediately stir in the butter, vanilla, and baking soda.
• Pour the brittle mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, folding the border back towards the middle to distribute the heat evenly. Cool completely at room temperature and break into pieces.

SWEET AND SPICY ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet, and toast until the nuts start to turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 10 minutes. Watch the nuts carefully as they bake: they burn quickly.
• Stir together the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl; set aside.
• Stir together the water, honey, and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir in the toasted almonds until evenly moistened. Pour the almonds into the sugar and spice mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread onto baking sheets in a single layer, and cool to room temperature.

SALTED ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Lightly butter a lipped baking tray and spread the almonds over it in a thin, even layer. Put the sugar, butter, salt and 4 tbsp water into a smooth-bottomed frying pan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil for about 5 mins, or until it starts to turn light golden brown. Stir every now and again as some patches will start to caramelise faster than others. Carefully tip the caramel over the nuts and leave to cool completely.
• Once cold, shatter the caramel. An easy way to get clean sharp pieces is to put the point of a sharp knife vertically onto the caramel and bash the handle with a rolling pin, like a hammer and chisel. Serve on top of the Chocolate amaretti puddings. Keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container, interleaved with non-stick paper, in a cool, dry place (not the fridge).

SWEET ALMOND BRITTLE!

Steps:

• Combine almonds, margarine, sugar, flour and milk in a skillet; let simmer for a few minutes.
• Pour mixture into 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan, lined with foil.
• Bake at 400°F until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Let cool on foil. When cool, peel off foil.
• Break up brittle and serve as is, or crumble over ice cream and garnish with fruit.

FRAGRANT INDIAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly oil 2 (16- by 12-inch) sheets of parchment paper with vegetable oil and put 1 sheet, oiled side up, on a heatproof work surface.
• Crush cardamom pods with side of a large heavy knife and scrape out seeds, discarding pods. Coarsely crush seeds with mortar and pestle or side of heavy knife.
• Bring sugar, honey, corn syrup, water, crushed cardamom seeds, and salt to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, then boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 350°F on thermometer, about 9 minutes.
• Add nuts and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture returns to a boil, about 1 minute. Carefully pour hot caramel mixture onto parchment on work surface (use caution when pouring hot liquids) and carefully cover with remaining sheet of parchment, oiled side down. Immediately roll out mixture between parchment sheets, pressing firmly with a large wooden rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick (use caution; mixture will still be hot). If brittle hardens before it is thin enough, transfer to a large baking sheet (still between parchment sheets) and warm brittle in oven 5 minutes to soften, then continue rolling to 1/4 inch thick.
• Cool brittle until firm enough to hold its shape but still pliable, 2 to 5 minutes, then remove top sheet of parchment. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife or a pizza cutter and score surface of brittle into 1 1/2-inch squares. If brittle hardens too much to score, transfer to a large baking sheet and warm on parchment, uncovered, until surface softens, about 5 minutes, then immediately score remaining lines. Cool brittle completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Invert brittle and peel off bottom sheet of parchment, then break into pieces.
• Brittle keeps in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, at room temperature 1 month.

SPICED ALMOND-CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• With spoon, beat eggs into chocolate mixture until well blended. Beat in remaining ingredients except powdered sugar until well blended. Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour for easier handling.
• Heat oven to 300°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place powdered sugar in small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar, coating heavily. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.