Salted Caramel Nut Brittle Food

SALTED CARAMEL NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Foil; set aside.
• Melt the butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, water and corn syrup. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Avoid splashing side of saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 290 degrees F or a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into threads that are hard but not brittle. This will take about 18 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil. Watch carefully the last 5 minutes to prevent overcooking. Remove from heat and remove the thermometer.
• Pour into the prepared baking pan. Tilt pan to spread mixture evenly. Let stand 2 minutes. In a small bowl combine the cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Sprinkle evenly over candy mixture.
• Set baking pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and break into large pieces to serve.

SALTED CARAMEL NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the nuts on a sheet pan, spread them out and roast them for 7 minutes, until they become fragrant. Set aside to cool.
• After the nuts are cooled, place the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a medium (10-inch) saute pan and mix with a fork until all of the sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts; from this point on, don¿t stir the caramel, swirl the pan! Don¿t worry, the mixture may look as though it¿s crystallizing. Continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes a clear golden brown, swirling the pan constantly at the end. (Careful, the caramel is very hot!) Off the heat, quickly add the vanilla (it will bubble up!) and swirl the pan to combine. Working quickly (the caramel will continue to cook in the pan), add the nuts and the kosher salt and toss with 2 large spoons until the nuts are completely coated.
• Pour the nuts and any extra caramel in the pan onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the nuts out in one layer, pulling them apart with two forks. Sprinkle with the fleur de sel and set aside to cool. When they¿re completely cooled, carefully break the nuts into large clusters with your hands, trying not to break the nuts too much.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE & SALTED CARAMEL BRITTLE

Steps:

• For the ganache, put the chocolate into a large bowl. Heat the cream in a pan until just boiling, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 5 mins, then stir until smooth. Put the ganache to one side to thicken and cool, then chill until needed.
• For the caramel sauce, heat the sugar and butter in a pan until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Add the cream, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• For the brittle, line a baking tray with baking parchment, then put the sugar and 4 tbsp of water in a heavy-based frying pan and heat, without stirring, until golden brown. Stir through the nuts, and pour (in a thin layer) over the parchment. Sprinkle with ½ tsp flaky sea salt and leave to set.
• To serve, drizzle each plate with sauce, heat a large spoon in a cup of hot water, then scoop out a curl of chocolate ganache for each plate. Break the brittle into shards and push a piece into each scoop. Sprinkle with crumbled brittle and add a pinch of sea salt.

SALTED PEANUT AND CARAMEL MATZO BRITTLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed 11-by-17 or 12-by-18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, covering the pan and extending over the sides.
• Lay 2 matzo squares in the pan, positioning the concave side up to best retain the caramel. Then, like a puzzle, fit the remaining matzo onto the baking sheet, carefully breaking pieces to fill the entire baking pan in one layer. (Don't worry if they are not perfect; the brittle will be cut up later.)
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, about 6 minutes. Boil just until very bubbly, another 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from heat and pour over the matzo, covering completely. Working quickly, spread the caramel using a heatproof spatula, then spoon it on top if it spills between the cracks in the matzo.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, checking to make sure the edges and top are not burning.
• Once the matzo is almost done baking, heat the peanut butter in a microwave until slightly warmed and easily pourable, about 20 to 30 seconds on high.
• Remove the matzo from the oven and drizzle the warmed peanut butter on top, then sprinkle with the peanuts, then the salt. Cool, break into pieces then transfer to a lidded container. Brittle is best - and at its snappiest - when chilled. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or freeze for 15 until peanut butter firms up. Brittle will keep up to 1 month frozen; let it thaw for about 10 minutes before serving.

SALTED ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Lightly butter a lipped baking tray and spread the almonds over it in a thin, even layer. Put the sugar, butter, salt and 4 tbsp water into a smooth-bottomed frying pan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil for about 5 mins, or until it starts to turn light golden brown. Stir every now and again as some patches will start to caramelise faster than others. Carefully tip the caramel over the nuts and leave to cool completely.
• Once cold, shatter the caramel. An easy way to get clean sharp pieces is to put the point of a sharp knife vertically onto the caramel and bash the handle with a rolling pin, like a hammer and chisel. Serve on top of the Chocolate amaretti puddings. Keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container, interleaved with non-stick paper, in a cool, dry place (not the fridge).

SALTED PISTACHIO BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; spray with nonstick spray and set aside. Whisk sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Fit saucepan with candy thermometer, bring mixture to a boil, and cook until thermometer registers 290°F, 3-4 minutes.
• Using a heatproof spatula, stir in pistachios, butter, and kosher salt (syrup will seize initially, but will melt as it heats back up). Continue to cook syrup, stirring often, until thermometer registers 300°F and pistachios are golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Caramel should be pale brown (it will darken slightly as it cools). Sprinkle baking soda over and stir quickly to blend caramel thoroughly (mixture will bubble vigorously).
• Immediately pour caramel onto prepared baking sheet and, using a heatproof spatula, quickly spread out as thin as possible. Sprinkle sea salt over and let caramel cool completely. Break brittle into pieces. DO AHEAD: Brittle can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight between sheets of parchment paper (to prevent sticking) at room temperature.