Smoked Almond Caramels Food

SMOKED ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick silicone mat and lightly butter.
• In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil until it registers 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Transfer the almonds to the oven on another large-rimmed baking sheet until warmed through, but not toasted.
• When the syrup reaches 239 degrees F, stir the almonds into the syrup with 1 teaspoon salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is 300 degrees F and a rich caramel color; immediately stir in the butter, vanilla, and baking soda.
• Pour the brittle mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, folding the border back towards the middle to distribute the heat evenly. Cool completely at room temperature and break into pieces.

ALMOND CARAMEL THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer equipped with the paddle attachment-the one that looks like the peace sign-and beat until creamy and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks and almond extract and beat for another minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chopped almonds.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. When combined, the dough should be soft and homogeneous. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
• When you're ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge and roll it into 3/4-inch balls. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Using the tip of your thumb, make a hole as deep as you can in each doughball without actually poking through the bottom. Roll your thumb around a little bit to widen the hole-this is your thumbprint!
• Bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes or until they begin to turn golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool. While the cookies are cooling, repoke each one with your thumb to create a really nice spot for the caramel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• For the caramel: In a medium saute pan, combine the sugar, lemon juice, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the pan to medium-high heat. Be careful not to swish the pan around as that can cause the sugar to recrystallize. As the mixture boils, the water will evaporate and the sugar will begin to turn brown, or "caramelize." This is the point when you DO NOT want to take your eyes off it! Things can take a turn for the worse here and there will be no recovery. As the sugar begins to turn gold and move toward golden brown, remove it from the heat and add the heavy cream. As you do this it will bubble up like crazy. Be sure to use a pan large enough to accommodate the bubbling-this stuff is molten and can cause a very severe burn. Whisk the cream until things settle down and the bubbles subside, then add the butter 2 pats at a time, making sure each addition is thoroughly incorporated before adding more.
• Let the caramel cool slightly, then spoon it into the hole of each cookie and let cool. You'll most likely have leftover caramel sauce, so save it for something yummy-like pouring over vanilla ice cream!

CIRCUS CARAMEL CORN WITH SMOKED ALMONDS AND SEA SALT

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease generously with the spray. Generously spray a large bowl and all but the handle part of a large spoon or rubber spatula.
• Combine the popcorn, salt and oil in a large deep pot with a lid and stir to coat the kernels in oil. Place the pot over moderately high heat, cover with a lid and cook, shaking the pot frequently to redistribute the kernels. Cook until all the kernels have popped, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the popcorn to the large prepared bowl, discarding any un-popped kernels.
• Combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup in a large deep pot over moderately high heat and stir to combine. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture develops a light amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter and baking soda and stir continuously to melt the butter and combine the ingredients, about 20 seconds. Working quickly, pour the sugar mixture (caramel) over the popcorn, and add the almonds, cashews and chocolate, if using. Use the prepared spoon to stir everything together, trying to evenly coat the popcorn and nuts in caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt. Break the caramel corn into smaller, bite-size pieces and serve.

CARAMEL CORN WITH SMOKED ALMONDS AND FLEUR DE SEL

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease generously with nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Generously spray a large bowl and all but the handle part of a large spoon or rubber spatula.
• In a large deep pot with a lid, combine the popcorn kernels, oil, and salt and stir to coat the kernels in oil. Place the pot over moderately high heat, cover with a lid, and cook, shaking the pot frequently to redistribute the kernels, until all the kernels have popped, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the popped popcorn to the large prepared bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. DO AHEAD: The popcorn can be popped in advance and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.
• In a large deep pot over moderately high heat, combine the corn syrup, sugar, and 1/4 cup water and stir to combine. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture develops a light amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the baking soda and butter, and stir continuously to melt the butter and combine the ingredients, about 20 seconds. (The mixture will be very hot and will foam up at this point-continuous stirring will help the foaming subside.) Working quickly, pour the caramel over the popcorn and add the almonds, then use the prepared spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together, trying to evenly coat the popcorn and nuts in caramel. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spreading out the caramel corn as much as possible. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool and harden for about 20 minutes. Break the caramel corn into smaller, bite-size pieces and serve. DO AHEAD: Caramel corn can be prepared in advance and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.

DRIED FIG-SMOKED ALMOND BARK

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny-side up; smooth out the creases. Make sure all your tools are dry.
• Chop the chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces with a large knife. Place all but 1 cup of the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds, then stir with a rubber spatula. Continue microwaving and stirring at 30-second intervals until melted, 3 to 5 minutes total. Immediately add the reserved chopped chocolate to the bowl; stir vigorously until melted and shiny. Don't worry if there are a few small unmelted pieces.
• Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet; use the rubber spatula to spread it into a 10-to-12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Press the almonds and figs into the chocolate, arranging them so each bite has a mix of flavors and textures. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let the bark harden completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (If the room is warm, you may need to freeze the bark for a few minutes.) Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.

HOMEMADE SMOKED ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Add garlic powder, celery salt, salt and liquid smoke; stir until blended. Add almonds and stir until well coated. Evenly spread almonds in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. , Bake at 300° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

CANDIED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; add the almonds. Cook and stir the mixture until the liquid evaporates and leaves a syrup-like coating on the almonds. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Separate almonds using forks. Allow to cool about 15 minutes.