Name: Croccante alle mandorle
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 250 g 1 lb almonds; 200 g 7 oz granulated sugar; 50 g 2 oz honey; 1 medium orange or lemon; 1 tsp orange blossom water (optional); Vegetable oil (q.b.)

Of all the myriad Italian Christmas sweets there are, croccante alle mandorle, or Almond Brittle, might just be the easiest to pull off. It is, at the end of the day, simply almonds briefly simmered in caramel. then spread out to cool and cut into pieces. Of course there are a few pitfalls to look out for, but the recipe is well within the skill set of even beginner cooks. And although it involves a few steps, it takes only a few minutes to make, especially if like me you opt for unpeeled almonds.

But don’t let the simplicity fool you. Few sweets are quite as addictive. If you like almonds, I doubt you’ll want to limit your enjoyment of croccante to the holidays.

Ingredients

Makes one tray of croccante, about 15 pieces

250g (1 lb) almonds
200g (7 oz) granulated sugar
50g (2 oz) honey
1 medium orange or lemon
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
Vegetable oil, q.b.

Directions

Peel the almonds (optional)

Place the almonds in a saucepan with water to cover. Turn on the heat and bring them almost to the boil. Drain and, when they’re cool enough to touch, rub off their skins. Dry off with a paper towel or kitchen cloth. (This is an optional step that I usually skip.)

Mis en place

Have at the ready two large sheets of parchment paper, brushed on one side with vegetable or another neutral tasting oil.

Slice the orange or lemon in half and squeeze out the juice of one half.

Warm the almonds

Place the almonds on a baking sheet. Warm in a moderate (180C/350F) oven for 5 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door. Leave the almonds in the open oven to keep them warm until you need them.

Prepare the caramel

While the almonds are warming, place the sugar, honey, the orange or lemon juice and, if using, orange blossom water in a saucepan or skillet, preferably a non-stick one.

Over a gentle flame, heat the sugar and other ingredients, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The sugar will melt, then begin to bubble. Let it simmer gently for a few minutes, until it turns a light brown.

Simmer the almonds

Add the almonds and raise the heat to a moderate flame. Simmer the almonds in the caramel for another five minutes or so. The caramel should turn translucent and darken into a lovely chestnut color.

Form and cut the croccante

Turn off the heat and let the caramel settle for a moment, then pour the caramel covered almonds out onto a baking sheet or other heatproof surface lined with one of the sheets of parchment paper, greased side up. Spread the almonds out with the cut side of the other half of the orange or lemon into a more or less square or rectangular shape, with as flat a surface as you can manage.

Let the almonds cool about 10- 15 minutes, then while still slightly warm to the touch, cut them into serving pieces.

Serve

Let your croccante cool completely before serving.

Notes on croccante alle mandorle

As mentioned at the top, the recipe is really quite easy. The only way I can think of to mess up is to burn the caramel. If it turns too dark, it will take on a bitter taste. But that’s easily avoided. Just be sure to take it off the heat once it’s turned a chestnut brown as pictured here. Conversely, if you don’t cook the caramel enough, leaving some liquid in it, it may come out sticky.

The other slight bother is getting any residual caramel off your saucepan or skillet. That’s why I recommend a nonstick pan or skillet. But even with standard pans, a short soak in some hot soapy water should do the trick. If all else fails, simmer some water in it and the caramel should dissolve.

Treating the almonds

To peel or not to peel? Old school recipes tell you to peel the almonds. I have to admit the color costrast of the off white peeled almonds with the dark brown caramel is very striking. That said, I prefer my almonds unpeeled. Not only do you avoid the rather fussy matter of peeling the almonds, I find that the slight bitterness in the skin nicely balances the intense sweetness of the caramel. If you do opt for peeled almonds, I’d go to the trouble of peeling them yourself. The taste will be immeasureably better than store bought.

In some older recipes, the almonds are sliced or chopped. Francesconi for example tells you to cut the peeled almonds in to filettini or ‘little fillets’ after peeling them. Assuming you’re doing it yourself, that turns an easy dish into one that’s quite a bit of work. Of course, sliced or chopped almonds give your croccante a different look and mouth feel. Personally I find whole almonds, which is by far the more common in contemporary recipes, lend a more interesting flavor and contrast of textures. But why not try both and decide for yourself?

The caramel

An easy to remember rule of thumb is 1 part sweetener to 1 part almond by weight. You can use this ratio to double or half the recipe as you want.

You can make the caramel with all sugar if you want. Personally I like the lovely taste that a bit of honey lends to the caramel. The orange or lemon juice may come as a surprise, but beside their taste, it supposedly prevents the caramel from crystalizing. Or so they say. I’ve never tried leaving it out.

The orange blossom water is a little touch that doesn’t figure in most recipes, but I find it lends a wonderful if subtle perfume to your croccante.

Rolling and cutting your croccante

Rolling out your almonds in a shallow baking sheet will help produce a perfectly rectangular croccante, which makes for fewer irregular pieces. But of course it’s totally optional. Just be sure to lay out your croccante on a surface such as marble or granite that won’t be damaged by the hot almonds and caramel. You can also nudge the almonds into shape with a knife. However you do it, act quickly, while the caramel is still hot so it’s still pliable.

There are different techniques for flattening out the croccante. Many recipes, like this one, tell you to use the cut side of a halved lemon or orange, which also lightly perfumes the croccante. Amusingly, Jeanne Carola Francesconi has you use a half potato (!) to do the job, which presumably doesn’t affect the taste. In yet others you use rolling pin. A spatula or wooden spoon would work as well. It comes down to personal preference. All will get the job done. Just be careful not to touch the almonds. They are very hot and you might burn yourself.

Typically croccante comes in rectangular, rhomboid or square shapes. I’m partial to rhomboids but again, it comes down to your personal preference. I find it best to cut the croccante while it’s still slightly warm, but recipes vary. Francesconi tells you to cut it as soon as you flatten it, while it’s still piping hot. Not advice I’d want to follow, frankly. In others, you let the croccante cool completely before cutting.

I find a long, sharp knife, such as a carving knife, is the best tool for the job. I lay the knife across the croccante, then press down with both hands.

Torrone

A similar but more elaborate Christmas sweet is torrone aka nougat. There are many versions of this delightful treat, some of which include almonds like croccante, but others calling for other nuts such as hazelnuts and/or pistachios.

To make torrone, you prepare a kind of meringue out of whipped egg whites, into which you drizzle your caramel as you continue to whip. You then fold in the nuts, and lay out the extremely stickly mixture between two sheets of ostie or communion wafer—actually edible rice paper. Torrone is much too sticky to eat ‘naked’.

But as similar as it is to croccante alle mandorle, the full recipe for torrone merits its own post.

Making croccante alle mandorle ahead

Croccante will keep almost indefinitely in a cool, dry place. Avoid moisture, which will make your croccante sticky. Excess warmth may actually start to re-melt the caramel.

Print Recipe

No ratings yet