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Croccante (southern Italian almond brittle)
Toasted almonds set in golden caramel and pressed flat with half a lemon
Croccante is the sweet of southern Italian feast days: from Naples to Calabria and Apulia it is sold from stalls at the patron saint's festa, set out at Christmas and at Carnival, and in some towns shaped into little baskets for weddings. Whole almonds are toasted and folded into caramel, then pressed thin on marble with the cut side of a lemon, which stops it sticking and leaves a faint citrus scent. It is crisp and glassy with a deep, nutty, slightly bitter caramel. Break it into shards to eat with coffee, or crush it over ice cream. It is naturally egg-free: only caramelised sugar holds the almonds, setting hard as glass as it cools. Chef's tip: keep the almonds warm when they go in; the common mistake is adding cold nuts, which makes the caramel seize into lumps.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 9 oz whole almondsskin on
- 9 oz white sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ lemonfor flattening
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the surface
- 1 tsp orange zest (optional)finely grated
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Brush a sheet of baking paper or a marble slab with 1 tsp neutral oil.
Step 2: Toast 9 oz whole almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes, tossing often, until fragrant and pale golden when you cut one open. Keep them warm in the pan off the heat.
8 minStep 3: Put 9 oz white sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Leave it until the edges melt, then swirl the pan, and stir gently once most of it has melted.
4 minStep 4: Cook for 6-8 minutes more, until the caramel is a clear deep amber and reaches about 165-350°F. Watch closely: a minute too long and it turns bitter.
7 minStep 5: Off the heat, tip in the warm almonds and 1 tsp orange zest, if using, and stir quickly until every almond is coated.
Step 6: Pour onto the oiled surface and press it out to 1 cm thick with the cut side of ½ lemon.
Step 7: While still warm, after 2-3 minutes, cut into diamonds or bars with an oiled knife.
3 minStep 8: Leave to cool for 10 minutes until hard, then snap along the cuts. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does croccante (southern Italian almond brittle) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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