Croccante a.k.a. Almond Brittle seen here posing with Silpat®
I wasn’t quite sure which category I should have filed this entry under because while it technically wasn't a disaster, it wasn't quite the success I had hoped for either. Croccante is an Italian confection that is similar to brittle and usually made with almonds and or hazelnuts, it is delicious and highly addictive but should be eaten with caution because it can break your teeth. I only warn you because I love you my bunnies, and because I was made painfully aware of just how close to tooth breaking I came as I was munching happily away on it myself. As luck would have it, I found a recipe that uses butter (which is supposed to make the candy less hard) AFTER I made this batch--oh well.
I had a rare evening to myself on Saturday, the husband was spending the night at our house upstate, checking on things and puttering around with his cars and the little girl was tucked in and fast asleep by 8 pm. I found myself alone on the couch with a glass of wine and a book (what luxury) and a sudden craving for this candy. I have to be honest; I’ve only had it once in my life, a very long time ago, made for me by a distant relative who was visiting from Sicily. Even now the memory of it is fuzzy; I don’t recall seeing her actually make it although I do have a vague image of myself (neatly dressed and so very dainty and ladylike as I always was back then aherm) being ushered out of the kitchen by a concerned adult because the combination of molten hot sugar and my clumsy self was making everyone in the house nervous. Maria’s croccante was a deep rich caramel color, maybe even mahogany deep, but then again I might be remembering it better than it really was, even so, I remember her letting me have a piece once it had cooled enough to be eaten but was still warm to the touch. The combination of the roasted nuts and pure sugar was just heaven to me and I’m pretty sure I begged, bribed and nipped as much of that candy as I could while it was around. So this past Saturday night, when the craving hit, I couldn’t find any reason NOT to make myself a little snacky treat, a small batch just to get a taste and to satisfy my sweet tooth. It really helped that I had all the ingredients on hand so there really was nothing stopping me from taking a little time off from the pressures of my high profile jet setting lifestyle to make myself a little croccante. What a treat!
I found a few recipes on the web and a recipe by Mario Batali on the Recipe Link site which looked really good, except that I didn’t want to make a pound of the stuff. To be honest, I didn’t have enough almonds either; with just over a cup of almonds I really had no choice but to make a small batch. This is the part of the post where I confess that I used the Batali recipe and did some rather ridiculous calculations to “guesstimate” the quantities of almonds, sugar and water that I would need for my batch of croccante. I was way off on the water and ended up with lumps of un-melted sugar as you can see in the photo. I was also really nervous about burning the sugar and setting off the smoke alarm, which would then scare the baby and wake her, which would then make it impossible for me to get her back to sleep for many, many hours, which would then ruin my rare evening of blissful solitude and make me cry, so I pulled the sugar off the burner just after it started to caramelize, but it was too light. I wanted that deep rich color I remembered from childhood but it wasn’t worth the risk of waking the baby. I also didn’t use enough sugar, again my silly calculations were way off, I ended up with something that was more like sugar cement gluing my almonds together rather than my almonds suspended nicely in sugar love. Bah! I think the whole thing was doomed from the beginning but the result was mighty tasty even if it was kind of ugly and a little too brittle. I also have to confess that I ate as much as I could, eating all the outer almonds and scraping my mouth over the candy (how attractive) to get to as many of the inner almonds as I could before tossing the whole thing (OK, ok, before tossing what was left). The sugar had hardened so much it was impossible to bite into and not worth a trip to the dentist. I did a search on the internet after the fact and that’s when I found out that the addition of butter makes the brittle less, well, less brittle. I also found a recipe on the Sicilian Culture website that looked very appealing and one I would like to try, I like the addition of the butter to the mixture and the lemon juice sounds like it would add a nice bright twist to everything. The only thing I would leave out is the vegetable oil, but that is only because I have a Silpat®, which I can’t live without, and can’t recommend enough.
From the Sicilian Culture website:As of this writing I have not actually made this recipe but am posting it here because I don't want to take the chance of the link one day breaking and losing it. Since this is my online cooking journal I'd like to have a record of the recipe just in case I want to make it one day. I'm sure this is a great recipe, and if I do make a batch of croccante from it in the near future I will report back here with the results.
Croccante means "crackling". It is similar to peanut brittle with the exception that this is made from almonds, hazelnuts or whichever nuts you prefer. It is a great and easy gift to make for people around the holidays, particularly Christmas.
Brush a marble slab or cookie sheet with the oil. Place all the remaining ingredients in a heavy nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, for about 15 minutes, or until the syrup has turned a deep caramel color and it’s foamy.
Pour the mixture out onto the oiled slab or cookie sheet, spreading it evenly with the spoon. Let cool completely. When it’s cooled, cut the croccante into rough 1-inch pieces with a heavy knife. Store in airtight jars.
Equal parts of honey & walnuts, mix/stir up until they are all coated, allow to cook.
Last month, while I was searching for a recipe to use for the Is My Blog Burning? ~Tartine Edition I came across a recipe in Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book by Nancy Silverton with Teri Gelber that really caught my eye, a recipe for Blum's Sandwich Cake. It's an angel food and whipped cream dessert that Silverton stacks by alternating layers of cake, whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, and honeycomb, then tops the whole thing off with crème fraîche, more hot fudge and honeycomb. The picture that’s in the book is pretty intense and everything about it will make you want to rip the page out and chew on the paper with reckless abandon make the sandwich for yourself at home. The honeycomb recipe caught my eye because many years ago, while on my first trip to England, I discovered English Cadbury products, particularly a little candy bar called Crunchie. I was so hooked on the crunchy layers of sweet but slightly burnt sugar covered in chocolate that it was on my list of "must bring me backs" whenever any of my friends from England or Ireland went home for holiday. So, of course, seeing the honeycomb recipe in Silverton's book meant that at some point I knew I'd be trying to make it at home.
There's a new Is My Blog Burning? event and this time its being hosted by the very lovely and charming Renee. I wont be making Blum's Sandwich Cake for this event, but I may use the honeycomb for another cake if I can tweak the recipe just a little bit more.
While following the recipe I was surprised by two things, 1. how easy and fast it was to make 2. that there is absolutely no honey in Silverton's recipe! I was pleased with the results, but not so pleased that I wouldn’t be willing to try something new, so I did a little searching around on the internet trying to find other recipes that actually did use honey. I found Gale Gand's Recipe and this interesting take on the honeycomb recipe that calls for vinegar and chocolate chips, so its back to the drawing board for me. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Silverton's recipe AT ALL, its just that I'm basically looking for something that isn't so sweet, that has more of a honey taste and less of a burnt sugar taste and if at all possible is a bit less brittle.
The "locusts" loved the first "test" batch, and it was devoured within minutes, plain and without aplomb, despite my protestations to take it home and either dip it in chocolate or crumble it and sprinkle it over ice cream. for you Dear Reader, I say to hell with it, just dip it in chocolate AND sprinkle it over ice cream!
Adapted from Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book by Nancy Silverton with Teri Gelber
In a medium-sized deep heavy-duty saucepan, stir the water, sugar and corn syrup together. Clip a candy thermometer onto the inside of the pan. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush down the sides of the pan to remove any un-dissolved sugar granules. Continue cooking until the sugar reaches 300 degrees on the candy thermometer (hard crack stage), then remove from the heat. The mixture should be a very pale straw color.
Working quickly, add the baking soda all at once to the sugar mixture, and whisk for a few seconds, until the baking soda is incorporated. The liquid will bubble up and become foamy. In one smooth movement, pour it onto a non-stick baking mat or a parchment lined baking sheet. It will spread out, puff up slightly, and have a slightly porous shiny surface. Allow it to harden for about 20 minutes, without touching or moving it. Cut the honeycomb into uneven 1/2 inch pieces. If you're not using the honeycomb that day, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. The honeycomb will last 1-2 days before it begins to lose its crunch.
Okay, so they didn't turn out Martha Stewart perfect or even pretty to look at, but considering this was my first attempt at making torrone, I'm very happy with the way they turned out, even if they are a little amateur looking. I tasted one and it was exactly what I was hoping for, strong honey flavored candy chock full of nuts and soft chewy nougat, Tom thought they were rough looking but tasty too.
If you've never had it before, torrone is a wonderful Italian treat, a honey candy traditionally served around Christmas. According to the Italianmade website, the origins of the confection have been said to trace back to ancient Rome. While I was on my internet quest for a recipe (there are quite a number out there), I decided not to use the recipe provided by the Italianmade site because I didn't want to be on my feet, by the stove, cooking and stirring honey for almost 2 hours. I also suspected that the recipe was for "hard" torrone, which is not what I wanted. I was looking for the nougaty type that seems to be referred to as "soft". I never knew there were two kinds, I always thought if it was hard, then it was panforte, but panforte seems to be something entirely different.
Torrone is made soft or hard, depending on your preference. Hard torrone is similar to peanut brittle. Soft torrone is the traditional Italian meal ender. source Global Gourmet
I finally settled on a recipe from Martha Stewart (of coarse hers are perfect), which I modified ever so slightly by using almonds instead of pistachios. The next time I try making torrone I think I will try the recipe from the Italianmade site after all. I like the idea of the honey being slow cooked and allowed to caramelize before being incorporated with the sugar mixture.
The Martha Stewart recipe was easy to follow and also a little unusual. Now that I've seen many variations on the way to make torrone, the kneading step in the Stewart recipe doesn't seem to be necessary, but it was a LOT of fun to do. The following are my notes on the experience and the things I would do or not do should I make torrone from the Stewart recipe again.
Edible Wafer Paper: Don't be deceived by this stuff, it looks and feels really sturdy but it's actually kind of fragile. I was a little too rough when handling the first sheet and tore a nice hunk out of it. The second sheet I accidentally splashed with water and where it got wet it dissolved. There's a shiny smooth side and a rougher more textured side, I spent a good 5 minutes trying to decide which side was the "correct" side to use, or if it even mattered. In the end, I used the shiny smooth side facing out, the side you would see when eating a piece of the candy, but like I said, I don't really know if it mattered. The nice thing was that the wafer paper fit into my pan as a whole sheet, so I didn't have to bother with piecing bits of other paper together to make up a larger size. The paper was a lot easier to find than I thought, but I'm sure that had a lot to do with the fact that I live in a big city. In Manhattan it can be found at the New York Cake & Baking Distributors 56 W. 22nd St. at Sixth Ave. 800-942-2539 or you can try online at their website. Other online sources for it, also known as Edible Rice Paper can be found at:
Almonds: Toasting them before using them is THE way to go. They were so much more flavorful and added so much more dimension to the torrone because of the fact that I toasted them that I don't know why Stewart doesn't suggest this for her recipe. Stewart's recipe is for a pistachio torrone but it's flexible and suggests using hazelnuts or almonds if one prefers, so substituting wasn't an issue, just a matter of taste.
Honey: For measuring honey and getting most of it out of the measuring cup I love the trick of spraying a little unflavored cooking spray into the measuring cup before adding the honey. The honey slips right out and most of it gets used rather than most sticking to the measuring cup. This also works well with corn syrup and molasses too. There are so many different types of honey it can make your head spin. I tend to like strong flavored honey and so I chose to use Eucalyptus honey, a choice I was happy with even though Tom found it to be a little overpowering.
Kneading: I'm not sure what the kneading was for and Stewart doesn't offer any explanation why, but it was a fun step. Be prepared to make a HUGE mess. I used a LOT of cornstarch, covering my hands in the stuff before handling the candy so that the candy wouldn't stick to my fingers. A dough scraper helps but surprisingly, if you are patient and gentle the warm candy is very easy to handle and doesn't really stick all that badly. I think the key is to keep your hands and the surface you're working on well coated in cornstarch. I never tasted the cornstarch in the final product so it's good to know that the candy wasn't affected by the copious amounts I used.
Slicing: I highly recommend using a good sturdy serrated knife. Stewart says to slice while the torrone is still warm and I can't agree more, however, I think I sliced while it was still a little too warm and so I had trouble with nougat sticking to the knife. I had to keep washing off and wiping the knife dry to continue slicing and maybe that contributed to my pieces looking so sloppy but who cares once it’s in your belly, right? You want to use a sawing motion because you have to cut through paper and whole nuts and this does require a little bit of elbow grease even though slicing torrone is BY FAR easier than slicing marshmallows.
adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Makes one 9-by-13-inch sheet
You can substitute almonds or hazelnuts for the pistachios. Edible wafer paper is available at baking-supply stores.
Edible wafer paper, enough for 2 layers in pan
1. Piece together wafer paper, without overlapping, to fit bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and set aside. Liberally sprinkle a clean surface with cornstarch. Pour egg whites into bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine honey and granulated sugar. Place over medium heat; cook until mixture just begins to simmer, about 4 minutes. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of saucepan; continue to heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Beat whites until stiff peaks form; add confectioners’ sugar, and beat until combined. When thermometer registers 315°, remove honey mixture from heat. Temperature will rise to 320°. Stir until temperature drops to 300°, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour honey mixture into egg-white mixture (at this point, whites will double in volume; let stand a few seconds; volume will return to normal). Beat until mixture thickens and begins to stick to beaters; fold in the nuts.
4. Pour mixture onto cornstarch-covered surface; knead about 5 turns. Stretch and roll to fit pan; place mixture in pan. Cover with another layer of wafer paper; let cool on wire rack. Cut into slices while still warm; store in airtight container, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 weeks.
Normally around this time of year, Tom and I are frantically scrambling to get our holiday card and holiday baking finished. We've been making our Christmas card every year for the last 7 years, a card that for all the bickering and frustration that comes from having two headstrong artists with very different styles working together is actually something we look forward to doing every year. The baking has also been part of that tradition, usually, with me biting off more than I can handle and Tom, rescuing me from a nervous breakdown at the end of a long and tedious marathon baking session. However, this year, after much discussion and many unsuccessful attempts at rearranging an impossibly filled schedule, we decided not to make the card and to cut down on the amount of baking dramatically. Sadly, as much as we hated to, those things had to be let go, we just have too much to do before the baby arrives and are quickly running out of time to do it. So, since I had a little extra time on my hands, I decided to try and make something a little different than just the usual holiday cookie. I attempted holiday marshmallows!
Marshmallows, those unusual confections with the mysterious composition are in fact really quite easy to make, and not all that mysterious once you know what's in them. It's not foam insulation but unflavored gelatin that makes them so fluffy, soft and squishy, sugar and lots of it, is what makes them so sticky. Interestingly enough, it's also sugar that keeps them from sticking together! Who knew!
Many years ago, Fine Cooking magazine ran a feature article on how to make homemade marshmallows. It was because of that story that I decided I would one day try to make them myself. I somehow ended up filing the magazine away in a closet before I had a chance to make the marshmallows and as is typical of my fickle interests, once the article was out of sight, the desire to make the confection was out of mind, until recently.
Unable to locate where the heck I buried the magazine after so many years, I jumped on the internet and found a simple recipe on Martha Stewart's site that I liked, so, with a few of my own modifications, inspired by this festive time of year, I was ready, ready to get in the kitchen and do something fun, I was ready to be LADY WILLY WONKA!. ahem
I decided to use food coloring to give the marshmallows a little holiday color and pure extracts to give them a little more depth of flavor rather than just tasting like plain sugar. I tried to pick 2 flavors that would compliment a mug of hot cocoa or elevate a cup of good coffee to new heights. I thought that peppermint would go nicely with hot cocoa since lots of folks like the combination of mint and chocolate and anise would go well with coffee since lots of folks also enjoy a little Sambuca or Anisette with their after dinner espressos or coffee. They were good choices, although next time I need to experiment further with the amounts of extracts to use. I used way too much peppermint, substituting 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract for 1 of the tablespoons of vanilla, while still quite edible the mint was a little too overpowering. I then compensated by using less anise for the second batch of marshmallows, substituting 1/2 tablespoon of anise and using 1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla. The result was a lot better but still, a little too overpowering. I did try an anise marshmallow with a cup of coffee and it was quite nice, with the right amount of tweaking next time, I think I might be onto something.
I chose green food coloring for the mint and red for the anise more because they are colors associated with this time of year than anything else, however, they turned out more pastel looking than I would have liked, more like something you see at Easter rather than Christmas and I was a bit disappointed. I'm not complaining too much though, it still helped me tell the marshmallows apart, they just didn't turn out as festive as I had hoped. Once the marshmallow had dried for the 24 hours I was going to cut them out with mini gingerbread boy and girl cutters, I actually started to as you can see in the photo on the right, but abandoned that idea after the fourth one. It was just too hard to cut into the marshmallow and get it to un-stick itself from the rest of the batch AND the cutter. I'm a patient person, but this would have really stretched my limits, and probably would have left my fingers raw and bleeding by the time I was finished. I hope, with practice, I'll find a better way to cut marshmallows, because it's sure not easy with a knife and almost impossible with cookie cutters.
Overall it was a good experiment, a unique take on holiday cooking, fun and simple, and with the addition of extracts and food coloring the possibilities can be endless. I would definitely try this again.
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