Recipes
How to make almond brittle
How about a piece of brittle to peel off and bite into, in defiance of guilt? Here's how to make Christmas almond brittle!
We know that at Christmas we forget about calories and gorge ourselves on sweets left and right: the Christmas almond brittle, then, is that dessert that you just can't say no to, and you can eat even just a small piece. at the end of the meal, or a more generous portion for a snack. In short, it simply cannot be missing from festive tables!
Furthermore, preparing it is really very simple. And what's more, if you've never thought of it, you can also prepare small packets by cutting the brittle into square pieces and tying them with a Christmas ribbon: what a great idea for a gastronomic gift, isn't it?
Ingredients
For the almond brittle
- Almonds – 500 g
- Honey – 125 g
- Sugar – 350 g
- Lemon – a few drops
Preparation
How to prepare the almond brittle recipe
If you don't buy the already cleaned ones, the first step is to peel the almonds . The trick to doing it quickly is to soak the almonds in hot water: a few minutes will be enough and you will see that the skin will come off like butter simply by rubbing them between your fingers. Once you have patiently removed the skin from each individual almond, dry them well with a cloth or absorbent paper to remove all traces of water.
Place the almonds on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake them at 180°C for 5 minutes until they are well toasted (we have written a guide about this).
Pour the granulated sugar , honey and a spoonful of lemon juice into a saucepan which will help prevent the sugar from crystallisation. Let the caramel take on its classic amber color. If you have a kitchen thermometer the temperature should be 140°C.
Add the almonds while they are still hot and mix well. Bring the mixture to 170°C.
Pour onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, distributing well so that the brittle has a uniform thickness. Let it cool completely before cutting it into pieces.
Here is a video with all the steps to make a delicious brittle.
The brittle can be made with any type of dried fruit : hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, etc. Among the most famous recipes, however, is the Sicilian one based on sesame seeds known as giuggiulena .
Conservation
The brittle will keep for up to a month in a cool, dry place.
Origin and history
We all know brittle and have tasted it at least once in one of the classic stalls present at fairs, but what is its origin? The first written trace dates back to 1475 and is contained in a Spanish text. Some scholars, however, place its birth around the 13th century in Sicily .
In fact, it seems that the brittle is nothing more than a revisitation of an Arab dessert made with almonds and honey. However, the name comes from a French term, croquer , in reference to the creaking sound it makes when broken. In medieval times it was the dessert par excellence for weddings and baptisms while coming to more recent times, in 1891 Pellegrino Artusi included the recipe in Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well .
Read also
Craving for almonds? Here are 10 recipes that will win you over!
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