Suvir's Chocolate Nut Brittle

Suvir's Chocolate Nut Brittle

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen

This inexpensive nut grinder is perfect for the nuts on top of the brittle.
(You can buy it on Amazon.)

Progressive Nut Grinder

Here's my story:

I was a partner at Maurice Pastry, a wholesale bakery in the South Bronx; and we made great 'craque' around the Christmas holidays. Jeff Yoskowitz and Greg Golden were my two talented partners. After leaving the bakery, (I teach music now), I always made either our bakery's 'craque' or Rose Levy Berenbaum's Chocolate Brittle from her Christmas Cookie Book around Hanukah/Christmas. Craque is a no brainer gift.

My friend, Suvir Saran, a gifted chef, restaurateur, co-author of three cookbooks, foodie celebrity just published his third cookbook, Masala Farm. It’s a unique and personal cookbook; and, as you read and savor his anecdotes and recipes, you feel like you’re visiting his home at the farm, upstate New York. 

Suvir mentors and inspires many of us. Despite that he's ‘famous’, travels often, lectures, teaches, judges, appears on TV, owns and operates a fine restaurant, dévi, in New York City, entertains extensively, he always takes time out to write and speak with me and (many others), offering advice, jokes, encouragement and praise. And he’s always open and curious to learn from ‘us’ too. 

Thank you, Suvir Saran, for inspiring me, for your passion, dedication, humor and attention to every creature who crosses your path – from the (precious) blue heron and sweet goats on your farm to (just) us who adore food, cooking, humor and sharing the bounty and joys with the ones we love. 

Suvir's my own "Babu"; and I'm a lucky Heron. 

This recipe for Chocolate Nut Brittle is unlike anything I've ever tasted because of the spices that are infused in both the chocolate and nuts. My combination of nuts was a choice. You can use all peanuts, all almonds, or all any nut you love. (I’m not sure I would use all pistachios, but if you love pistachios, why not?!). I used Kerrygold butter, which Suvir recommended. It’s very pricey, but very gold and lovely. This is a gift, my friends – don’t go all Ebenezer on this.

And the chocolate? I used Scharffenberger and threw in some Jacques Torres baking discs (to achieve the Brooklyn quotient).

Grinding your own spices makes a difference. Go to one of those Home Goods stores or Bed Bath and Beyond or Amazon.com and get yourself a $15 coffee grinder and use it just for spices. Grind your own cardamom pods, your own allspice, your own cloves… everything. Buy more whole spices (they stay fresh longer).

This is a gift of memory. People will taste it and their eyes will roll high into their heads and their response will undoubtedly include a groan of pleasure. It's worth the effort and you can freeze any leftovers (if there are any leftovers) for several months.

To my readers, I highly recommend you have a look at and purchase this new and wonderful cookbook, Masala Farm.

Have a happy and healthy 2012. May the Year of the Dragon bring us all another year of good health, peace, happiness, lots of dinner parties and the re-election of Barack.

peace and love,

jane

Suvir’s Chocolate Nut Brittle

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen

For The Chocolate:

11 oz/310 g. chocolate (60%-70% cacao), finely chopped

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground mace

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

Scant 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Scant 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper [Blue Heron Kitchen: yes! … but it’s optional]

For the Brittle:

2 lb./910 g. excellent quality [Blue Heron Kitchen: Kerrygold, as recommended by Suvir.] salted butter, cut into chunks, plus 1 additional tablespoon of butter at room temperature

4 1/2 c./620 g. chopped and toasted nuts [Blue Heron Kitchen: about 250 grams unsalted, roasted excellent quality peanuts, 250 grams slivered almonds; and the remaining, unsalted pistachios]

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

3 c./600 g. granulated sugar

1/3 c./80 ml. water

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

For the chocolate: Place chocolate and its associated spices in a medium bowl. Bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and reduce the heat. Place bowl over the barely simmering water and melt, stirring frequently, making sure that no steam enters the chocolate. Turn off heat and move to a 'back burner'.

To make brittle: First, prepare the pan by taking that additional tablespoon of butter. Grease the pan and lay an oversized sheet of parchment paper over the pan, pressing it down to coat it with the butter. Then turn it over so the buttered side is up. set aside.

Place 3 cups of the toasted/chopped nuts in a bowl and mix with the spices. The other 1 1/2 cups, you can chop a little finer. They'll be the topping.

Melt the 2 lb./910 g. salted butter (Kerrygold is recommended, but any good quality butter will do - just be sure it's fresh.) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar, water, corn syrup and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sugar is entirely melted. Once the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and start waiting. Using a pastry brush, dab the sides of the pot with water if you see sugar crystallizing. Stir or swirl the pan from time to time ensure even cooking and to disable burning. Continue to cook the caramel until it is a very deep brown, 25 to 30 minutes. If the caramel rises up to the top of the pan, reduce the heat. When it reaches 300º F./150º c., it's ready. (You can remove the caramel slightly before it reaches temperature because it continues to cook - caramel takes on a life of its own, so stand tall, concentrate, don’t leave the pot and take charge.)

Remove from heat and stirring constantly, to stop cooking, add the spiced nuts. Don't wait - pour this mixture into the prepare sheet pan.

Now wait for about 5 minutes. If the chocolate mixture isn't as liquid as before, briefly re-heat it over the hot water.

Now pour the chocolate over the brittle and using an offset spatula, spread evenly.

Sprinkle remaining nuts over the chocolate.

Let set overnight or cover with plastic wrap, for at least three hours in the fridge.

Break brittle into irregular pieces and serve on a platter or in a candy dish (Remember those?! My Grandmas had so many of them!). Store in an airtight container.

Give as gifts in decorative tins or in simple cellophane bags tied with bakery string or with a ribbon.

Can be frozen up to three months in airtight container or in a freezer bag.