Chocolate Dipped Lavender Pine Nut Brittle Food

PEPITA AND LAVENDER BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inchrimmed baking sheet withcooking spray. Bring sugarand corn syrup to a boil in amedium saucepan, stirringand brushing down sides witha wet pastry brush to preventsugar crystals from forming,until sugar dissolves. Cook,swirling occasionally, untilmixture just starts to turn goldenaround edge.
• Stir in mix-ins. Cook, stirringoccasionally, until mixtureis pale amber, about8 minutes. Pour onto bakingsheet without spreading.Let cool. Break into pieces.

NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Put the nuts, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes a nice walnut color and thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes. Quickly pour onto a silpat or foil lined baking sheet and spread the brittle to an even thickness of about 1/3-inch with the back of the spoon.
• Cool for 3 or 4 minutes then score the brittle with a sharp knife into about 24 (2-inch) squares. Once the brittle has cooled completely, snap along scored marks.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TOFFEE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet withcooking spray, and line with parchment. Melt butterand sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add water and corn syrup. Cook until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to even out color. Pour mixture onto baking sheet without spreading. Let cool.
• Spread chocolate over top, and sprinkle with hazelnuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Break into pieces.

NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Brush a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with butter. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent any crystals from forming. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture reaches the soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer (238 degrees).
• Stir in the nuts; continue to cook, stirring often so the nuts do not burn, until the mixture is golden amber in color. Remove from heat.
• Carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam up in the pan. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and quickly spread with an oiled metal spatula. Set aside until completely cool. Break into pieces to serve. Brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. metal baking pan; set aside. In a 1-1/2-qt. microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar, corn syrup and salt. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-1/2 minutes. Stir in almonds; cook on high for 2-1/2 minutes. Add the butter and vanilla; cook on high for 1 minute., Stir in baking soda. As soon as the mixture foams, quickly pour onto a greased metal baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into 2-in. pieces. , Melt chocolate coating in a microwave. Dip 1 side of brittle int chocolate and place on waxed paper to harden. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED NUT BRITTLE WITH SEA SALT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Spread all the nuts on ungreased baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring once. Let nuts cool completely.
• Line a shallow rimmed 15 1/2" x 10" baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly with butter. In a small bowl, place butter, vanilla and baking soda (no need to blend); set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup and 1/3 cup water to a boil, uncovered. While sugar cooks, brush down the sides of the pan with cool water. Boil sugar over high heat until it turns a light amber colour, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly stir in butter, vanilla and baking soda with a wooden spoon (the baking soda will make it foamy). Stir in nuts until coated and spoon mixture onto prepared baking tray. Spread brittle as thinlly as possible with a greased rubber spatula, as thinly as possible. Let brittle cool completely at room temperature.
• Melt chocolate chips in microwave on MEDIUM, stirring every 10 seconds, until melted. Crack brittle into desired serving pieces and dip halfway into melted chocolate and place back onto greased parchment-lined baking tray. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and allow chocolate to set.

PINE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Spray heavy large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Stir sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep golden, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped into water and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Immediately pour out mixture onto prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with pine nuts.
• Working quickly and carefully (mixture is very hot and hardens fast), press tip of knife into edges of caramel sheet and gently stretch in all directions until caramel becomes thin and transparent. Cool completely. Break brittle into irregular large pieces. (Brittle can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

BASIC BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet withcooking spray. Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook,swirling occasionally, until mixture just starts to turn golden around edge.
• Stir in mix-ins. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is pale amber, about 8 minutes. Pour onto baking sheet without spreading. Let cool. Break into pieces.