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Sohan
Saffron pistachio brittle
Sohan-e Qom (سوهان قم): crisp saffron brittle with sprouted wheat flour and pistachios
Pilgrims leaving the shrine city of Qom carry home round tins of sohan, and boxes of it are passed around at Nowruz visits all over Iran. It is a buttery, snapping brittle flavoured with saffron, cardamom and rosewater, built on sprouted wheat flour, which gives a gentle malty sweetness, and studded with slivered pistachios and almonds. Each disc shatters and then melts. Chef's tip: have every nut and flavouring measured beside the stove before you start; the last stage moves fast and the sugar won't wait.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the brittle
- 10 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 3 ½ oz unsalted butter
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- 1 ¾ oz sprouted wheat flour (jaavaneh)or plain flour plus 1 tbsp malt extract
For the flavour
- ¼ tsp saffron threadsground with a pinch of sugar
- 2 tbsp rosewaterwarm
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
For the topping
- 2 ⅛ oz slivered almonds
- 2 ⅛ oz slivered pistachios
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Stir the ground ¼ tsp saffron threads into the warm 2 tbsp rosewater and leave to steep. Line two trays with baking paper and lightly oil it. Mix the 2 ⅛ oz slivered almonds with half the 1 oz slivered pistachios.
10 minStep 2: Put the 10 ½ oz caster sugar, 2 tbsp runny honey, 3 ½ oz unsalted butter and ¼ cup sunflower oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar starts to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Sprinkle in the 1 ¾ oz sprouted wheat flour (jaavaneh) and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look grainy and separated at first; keep going.
5 minStep 4: Keep cooking and stirring over a medium heat for 12–15 minutes, until it turns a deep amber, smells nutty and a drop set in cold water snaps cleanly (about 300°F on a sugar thermometer). Common mistake: stopping at pale gold, which gives a chewy, sticky sohan instead of a crisp one.
15 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat and stand back as you stir in the saffron-rosewater and 1 tsp ground cardamom; it will hiss and bubble up. Quickly stir in the almond and pistachio mix.
2 minStep 6: Working fast, drop level tablespoons onto the trays, leaving space for them to spread to discs about 6 cm across. Scatter the remaining 1 oz slivered pistachios over each. If the mixture stiffens in the pan, warm it for a few seconds.
8 minStep 7: Leave to cool and harden completely, about 30 minutes. Peel the discs off the paper and store in an airtight tin between sheets of paper; they keep 3 weeks.
0 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sohan take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of runny honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
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