Almond brittle: the recipe for the delicious Christmas dessert

Ingredients
WHOLE ALMONDS
200 gr
CASTER SUGAR
200 gr
LEMON JUICE
20 ml
Almond brittle is a typical sweet from local pastry making, made with almonds and sugar, loved by adults and children alike. Inevitable during the Christmas period , and omnipresent on the stalls of festive markets, it can be replicated at home without any difficulty, even by those who are novices in the kitchen.

To prepare it, we start with the caramel , here made with the ” dry method “, which involves dissolving the sugar directly in a saucepan, without adding water and with a splash of lemon juice : an optional ingredient, but important to guarantee the preparation a nice amber color and facilitate the fusion of sucrose.

Then add the almonds, lightly toasted in the oven and, finally, spread the resulting mixture into a thin layer, and wait for it to harden: the result will be a delicious and irresistible snack, to be cut into small pieces and munched as a snack, or packaged with a ribbon and give to guests.

The crunchy has rather uncertain origins. Widespread throughout Italy, especially in the central-southern regions , according to some sources accredited by a 14th century Iberian text, it was created by Spanish pastry chefs in the second half of the 1400s. According to others, however, the dessert, created in 1200 , has southern origins and derives from an Arab specialty obtained by mixing almonds, honey, spices and sugar.

Here we offer you the traditional version, but from one city to another it is possible to find it in many different variations: flavored with citrus fruits, cinnamon , anise, or prepared with a mix of dried fruit.

Find out how to prepare almond brittle by following the step-by-step procedure and advice. If you liked this recipe, also try the almond nougat , the praline hazelnuts or the giurgiulena .

How to prepare almond brittle

Step 1
Spread the almonds on a baking tray, lined with baking paper
1
.

Step 2
Place the almonds in a preheated oven at 180°C and let them cook for no more than 5 minutes
2
: be careful not to toast them too much, otherwise they will be excessively hard.

Step 3
Squeeze the lemon
3
and obtains 20 ml of juice.

Step 4
Pour the filtered lemon juice into a non-stick pan
4
.

Step 5
Add the sugar
5
, put on the heat and let it cook on medium heat.

Step 6
When the sugar starts to bubble on the surface
6
and it has reached a temperature of 170°C, remove from the heat. For this operation we suggest you get a kitchen thermometer : this way you can monitor the caramel and prevent it from burning.

Step 7
Pour the almonds into the ready caramel and mix carefully with a spatula
7
.

Step 8
Quickly distribute the mixture obtained on a baking tray lined with a micro-perforated silicone mat
8
or, alternatively, on waxed paper: make sure you spread the brittle in a thin layer to ensure that the caramel crystallises evenly, then leave to rest until completely cooled.

Step 9
Once crystallized
9
, divide the brittle into bars or cut it into squares with a knife with a smooth and sharp blade.

Step 10
Place the brittle on a serving plate
10
, and serve.

Step 11
Alternatively, package the brittle with waxed paper and a colored ribbon
eleven
, and donate it as a welcome gift.

Advice
The caramel tends to solidify as it cools, so you will have to pay attention to the preparation times and mix it with the almonds while it is still very hot .

If you wish, you can add honey to the caramelized sugar during cooking , which will improve the brittle’s resistance to humidity, prolonging its shelf life and ensuring an impeccable crunchy effect. In any case, whatever your choice, we suggest you equip yourself with a kitchen thermometer : in this way it will be possible to monitor the temperature of the caramel without risking burning it.

In addition to almonds, you can opt for other dried fruit of your liking such as hazelnuts or pistachios, or you can enrich the dessert with orange or lemon peel, and melted dark chocolate : to be used as a covering once the brittle has cooled.

storage
The almond brittle can be kept for months , tightly closed in a tin box, in a cool, dry place: the heat, in fact, would cause the sugar to melt, while the humidity of the refrigerator could damage the caramel.