Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Chips, Chocolate and Coconut Macaroons and Almond Macaroons, "Suviroons" and Chocolate Dipped

Coconut Macaroons with chocolate chips 

Chocolate  and Coconut Macaroons

Almond and Coconut Macaroons, Chocolate Dipped

Suviroons 

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Chips

and

Almond and Coconut Macaroons, Chocolate Dipped
and 
"Suviroons" (dedicated to Suvir Saran)

These macaroons aren’t the same kind that people queued up around the block for when Ladurée opened in New York a couple of months ago. After spending several hours winding up the bottoms of digestive biscuit and tea tins that played "God Save the Queen" and "How Much is That Doggie in the Window" at Fortnum and Mason's in London, (I bought them) a few weeks ago, we went across the street to a quiet table at Ladurée, and ate some macarons of memory ... pear and ginger, pistachio - and others. THOSE macarons aren’t the ones that make your fingers bleed when you open the round tin to release the foil top that keeps them gummy moist. They're the French ones. 

My Grandma Rae would've said, "what are you talking about, pear macaroons?". 

Two years ago, my son called me in a panic. He’d been invited to a seder (a Passover dinner that literally means 'order', but should mean 'I need a gentle laxative') in London and needed some recipes. Nowhere in Oxford or London could he find matzo cake meal. So, for the past two years, I’ve been sending it over to him so he can make the ‘famous’ Passover Mandel Bread (recipe forthcoming – but doesn’t everybody have it already?)

Subsequently, we went with macaroons. The Jewish ones.

I sent him Ina Garten’s and Martha Stewart’s recipes. They were all I could dig up. 

Here are a couple of easy and fool-proof recipes that rival the canned ones. They’re better more haimish than Ina’s or Martha’s (sorry, girls); and I promise they will be a lovely addition to a Passover, Easter, Persian New Year, April Fool’s, May Day, or your next festive meal.

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Chips

Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk (about ½ of the can)

2 size large egg whites

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

12 oz. shredded, unsweetened coconut (I like Bob’s Red Mill, and the bag is exactly 12 oz!)

¾ c. semisweet chocolate chips (I heart Guittard!)

for Chocolate Macaroons change quantity of coconut and add cocoa powder:

11 oz. shredded, unsweetened coconut

1 oz. (1/2 c.) dark, good quality unsweetened cocoa

½ c. dark chocolate chips (Guittard or Ghiradelli)


for "Suviroons" (dedicated to my friend, teacher and mentor, Suvir Saran (whose most recent cookbook, Masala Farm was just nominated for a James Beard award for "American Cooking"!)
try this twist:
10 oz. shredded, unsweetened coconut
3 oz. chopped pistachios (raw, but toast and cool them)
1/2 c. chopped candied ginger
1 to 2 Tbsp. rose water

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 325º

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Whisk together (you can use your Kitchen Aid!): sweetened condensed milk, egg white, extract and salt, until well combined

Add coconut and mix.

Remove from machine and fold in chips by hand.

Using a 1 ½ inch cookie scoop, or by tsp., drop onto the prepared sheets.

Bake until slightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Cool, then peel from parchment.

Store airtight. May be frozen until you’ve feathered the joint.

Yield: (with the 1 ½” cookie scoop you’ll get about 4 dozen. With a tsp., probably about 2 ½ to 3 dozen.)

ALMOND AND COCONUT MACAROONS

CHOCOLATE DIPPED (Variation)

Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk (about ½ of the can)

2 size large egg whites

1 ½  tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

8 oz. shredded, unsweetened coconut (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

4 oz. finely ground almonds (I buy mine at Patel Brothers. If you're not lucky enough to live near this wonderful Indian supermarket, look for finely ground almond meal. Greek markets have it, French markets do, bien sur, and Bob's Red Mill produces it too.)

6 oz. (approx..) good quality dark chocolate, melted, for dipping the macaroons (I used Jacques Torres' dark chocolate discs. You can buy them online (click on this link) or at his shops in Chelsea Market or in Brooklyn on on the Upper West Side.) Or use any dark chocolate that you like! Here's a truc: add a little roasted almond oil .. or flavorless oil if you don't have nut oils handy to the melted chocolate. and add a touch of Boyajian's orange oil - but just a smidge. The oil will add a sheen and the orange will lift up the almond flavor. 

optional: anything decorative for the top of each macaroon (how about a candied icon of one of the ten plagues .. only I wouldn't recommend ‘boils’ or ‘slaying of the first born’ - or just some little sprinkles. they're very sweet.)

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 325º

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Whisk together (you can use your Kitchen Aid!): sweetened condensed milk, egg white, extracts and salt, until well combined

Add coconut and almond meal and mix well.

Remove from machine.

Using a 1 ½ inch cookie scoop, or by tsp., drop onto the prepared sheets.

Bake until slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure that you don’t burn these. The bottoms will get brown. Check that they’re not getting too dark on the bottom.

Cool, then peel from parchment.

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl on top of barely simmering water (or in a microwave). Take care that no water or steam gets into the chocolate. 

Dip the macaroons in the chocolate and place them on a rack that is set over waxed paper .. to catch any drips.

After they've set a bit, you can drip a little more on top and then put a little decoration on the top.

You can set them up quickly in the fridge. Serve immediately or keep them in a container, with waxed paper over the cookies, sealed and refrigerated, until you're ready to serve them.

Store airtight. May be frozen until you’ve feathered the joint.

Yield: (with the 1 ½” cookie scoop you’ll get about 4 dozen. With a tsp., probably about 2 ½ to 3 dozen.)

To those who celebrate Passover, have a sweet Passover. Many people wish that 'next year we celebrate in Jerusalem'. I'm not interested in any such thing. My wish for next year: (two, since there are two recipes here: the Unites States vacates Afghanistan; and  that health care becomes accesible to all Americans (that includes my darling daughter.)

Happy spring to everyone!

Peace and love,

Jane

Mushroom Soup with Tarragon

Mushroom Soup with crème fraîche.

Mushroom Soup with Tarragon

Blue Heron Kitchen

This soup was the first course of my "New Years M'eve"©. Mushrooms and tarragon, at first thought, seem an unlikely pairing. Mushrooms taste of the soil and tarragon, like flowers. But, they're two peas in a pod.  They merge like two clapping hands (maybe the Vermouth knocks some sense into both?)

I recommend David Waltuck’s mushroom stock from Chanterelle. But, if like me, you find you don't have any on hand, don't think twice about taking the low road and using the newly reintroduced Organic Better Than Bouillon Mushroom base. Cooking should be enjoyable and it should always taste really great. The last recipe someone sent me that they thought was their 'best' was a for a one pot dinner where you browned chopped meat, added a can of tomato sauce, marinated mushrooms, chopped green pepper and shredded mozzarella. We may all be in this together, but as the saying goes, chacun a son propre goût .

And I like it that way, don't you?

Quantities are approximate, but you’ll need:

1-2 carrots (organic preferred)

1-2 stalks celery (organic preferred)

1 large or 2 small leeks, white and palest green parts only

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced (mixed variety, your choice)

fresh (or if you don’t have it… dried) thyme

bay leaf (fresh or dried)

fresh flat-leaf parsley

unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil (about 2 - 3 Tbsp., combined)

dried mushrooms (your choice … read below)

mushroom or vegetable stock – about a quart

Dry vermouth (French is best)

Dried and/or fresh tarragon

Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste (I used Maldon salt flakes from the UK!) 

Crème fraîche for serving (optional, but really good)

In a heavy saucepan with a lid, “sweat” a mirepoix, this one, a mixture of diced carrots, celery and leeks, (just the whites and very pale green part) in a small amount of good quality olive oil and butter (first uncovered, then covered). (I broke in my new All-Clad 3 ½ quart covered saucepan. It’s a winner!)

In a separate saucepan, have your stock going. You can use pre-made mushroom stock, vegetable stock, or get some Better Than Bouillon Mushroom base. Have about a quart of this going and to this, add dried mushrooms (I added Maitake and Hens of the Woods) to fortify the stock. (You’ll remove and discard compost the dried mushrooms before adding the stock.) Add a bay leaf, tarragon, thyme, parsley and any other aromatics you'd like in your stock.

To the mirepoix, add some aromatics, all wrapped up in cheesecloth: thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and continue to cook.

Add about a pound of sliced mushrooms. (I used cremini, portabella and shitake). Turn heat to medium/high and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms begin to lose liquid and no longer appear ‘raw’.  Add your vermouth or some white wine and allow the alcohol to cook off. Throw in a handful of fresh tarragon leaves!

Remove (or if they’re little, strain) the dried mushrooms from the stock and add your rich, hot stock to the mushrooms. Bring to a simmer, add dried tarragon, to taste, grated black pepper, to taste and salt, to taste. (If you’re using pre-made stock or Better Than Bouillon, be careful about salt addition – you’re probably fairly high in sodium already.)

Cook the soup for about an hour and a half – or until you feel it has ‘come together’. Remove aromatics and cool until at least lukewarm (you don’t want to put hot soup into a blender).

Purée the soup in a blender. Or, if you have a great one, use your immersion blender.

Thick and gorgeous mushroom soup.

Return to a clean saucepan and heat, gently. If the soup’s too thick, add some water until you like the consistency. If you want ‘cream of mushroom soup’, add some half and half – but heat it very gently, taking care that it doesn’t come to a boil.

Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and if you have, some freshly chopped tarragon. (I didn't have any, so I chopped up some parsley.) 

Elegant, comforting, perfect for your own "mevening", dinner for two, the whole fam or as the first course for your next fabulous dinner party.

(Oh, be sure to scroll all the way down. I'm taking my own political poll and would love it if you'd be take part. Thanks.)

Peace and fungilove,

jane

Dal with Three Chiles, Thank You and Happy New Year

Thank You, India 

Thank you frailty, thank you consequence, thank you, 

thank you silence

Green chile, dried red chile

Cayenne

Pink lentils (split) "dhuli masoor dal"

Simple Gujarati Dal with Three Chiles

From Suvir Saran’s Indian Home Cooking, adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen

This is quick and simple and I think it tastes better then next day(s). Pink lentils (split), called dhuli masoor dal, can be purchased at any Indian market. I love Patel Brothers.  There are many of these markets in the NY City region. Go online and look for “Indian Grocery Stores” and type in your neighborhood. Or, if you live in a neighborhood where the 'ethnic aisle' means "Old El Paso", buy your dry goods online. Try, for example, "YourIndianShopUSA" at Amazon.com. You'll find a ton of Indian dry goods there.

I use slightly less oil than the original recipe calls for; and I mix canola and olive oils. You can use all canola oil or all olive oil. 

If you’re truly Gujarati, you won’t use the garlic. Garlic and onion are not part of the Gujarati diet. Add some Asafetida or "Hing" powder (use this sparingly) or some minced, fresh ginger instead.

A bowl of dal with a dollop of yogurt (I love Fage (pronounce it this way: “Fay-ah!”) brand 0%, Greek yogurt) or raita and some salad is a perfect meal. It’s hearty, healthy, low in fat, high in protein and quite satisfying. You can have it in a bowl or over plain or fragrant (with aromatic spices) basmati rice. Or, if you feel like ‘other’ grains, try it with your favorite grain such as farro (triticale wheat) or couscous.

Namaste

Happy, Healthy New Year

2012!

peace and love,

jane

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils, picked over, washed and drained

½ tsp. turmeric (a natural anti-inflammatory!)

1 tsp. salt (more or less, to taste)

4 cups water

For the tempering oil (which adds the distinctive flavor!)

1 Tbsp. Canola oil

1 Tbsp. Extra virgin Olive Oil

Black mustard seeds are da bomb
You can get them at your local
Indian market or try Penzeys.com

1 tsp. black mustard seeds                                    

½ tsp. cumin seeds

3 whole dried red chiles

1 fresh hot green chile, minced

8 fresh or 12 frozen curry leaves, torn into pieces (optional – but try to get them because they’re extraordinary!)

1 small garlic clove, minced (if you’re true Gujarati, no garlic, no onion  – try some Asafetida -also called "Hing" – or throw in some freshly minced ginger!)

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

 3 heaping Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of ½ lime or lemon

 Procedure:

Put lentils in a large saucepan with water, turmeric and salt and bring to a boil. Skim well. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, cooking until the lentils are soft. If you’re using the pink lentils, this will take about 15 minutes. “Other” lentils will take up to half an hour. If necessary, add more water during cooking. Taste for salt and if needed, add more.

They don't stay pink, silly. Turmeric turns everything yellow.

When lentils are soft, remove a cup and put into a small bowl. Mash them with a spoon and return them to the pot. If you prefer your dal ‘thick’, continue cooking. ("DALert": Because it is starchy, dal thickens as it cools. Upon reheating, you may need to add some liquid to reach the desired consistency.)

For tempering the oil: heat the oil with the mustard seeds in a small frying pan, wok or (ideally) a kadai (I bought mine at Patel’s – they’re Indian woks that have gone to charm school. They have beautiful handles and have perfect posture: they don’t need that ‘ring’ to sit upon. The kadai sits perfectly straight and still on the stovetop – no ring needed! And so far, All-Clad hasn’t produced one, so they’re still wildly inexpensive.)  Do this over medium-high head, covered. When you hear the mustard seeds popping (after a minute or two), uncover and add the cumin. Stir a couple of time for about 30 seconds.  Next step: add the dried red chiles, the fresh green minced chile, the curry leaves and the minced garlic and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds. (NB: curry leaves ‘spit’, so stand back when you put them in – or better, assert yourself and spit back.)

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cayenne pepper. Add a few drops of water to stop the cooking. It’ll steam up and go all drama and gorgeous on you.

Stir half of the tempering oil, all of the lime or lemon juice; and half of the cilantro into the cooked dal (lentils). Simmer gently for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and pour remaining tempering oil over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cilantro.

(Or wait until you’re serving the dal, (dalink): reheat the remaining tempering oil and drizzle it over the reheated dal and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Or, if you’re like me, just add all the tempering oil, serve it tomorrow and c'est la guerre!)

Chocolate Sablés - Updated!

Chocolate Sablés - Updated!

Adapted from Pierre Hermé by Blue Heron Kitchen

These deep, dark chocolate cookies upgrade “slice and bake” to business class.  Use the best ingredients you can get your hands on (apply this advice to things you cook and to how you live.)

Some recommendations: Use European style butter (83% butterfat).  You can go nuts and buy French butter or use Plugra or Kate's Homemade (from Vermont) or Kerrygold from Ireland. Lately Cabot's 83% has been tasting cultured to me, but you try it and see if you like it.  Try Fairway or any good supermarket - Whole Foods is pricey, but their sales rock. You'll know your best market in your neck of the woods.


Use excellent quality cocoa, like Valhrona or Scharffenberger. Droste works too.  Chop your own: use Valhrona, Guittard or comparable chocolates. Easy: try Guittard's Akoma Extra Semisweet Chips, 55% Cacao (I found them on sale at Whole Foods.)  or Jacques Torres’ discs. You can buy Torres' 60% baking discs but there's a $15 shipping fee (what up?). If you live in NYC, there are several shops where you can buy his baking discs: Chelsea Market, UWS, DUMBO. 

Use the best quality vanilla extract possible. It's worth the cost.  I've been using Baldwin’s of West Stockbridge's extracts forever and I can’t describe how rich and unique their vanilla extract is.  Use fresh, moist brown sugar. Domino brand granulated sugar is always a good choice; and unbleached, excellent quality flour is important. (If you can buy locally milled flour, even better. But if not, try King Arthur's unbleached flour or Bob's Red Mill's flours - both great choices). You can’t create a bad sablé (literally, "sablé" means 'sand' in French - it's a texture situation) if you use these or comparable ingredients and don't fuss too much with the batter.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (Valhrona rocks)

½ tsp. baking soda

1 stick + 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, 83% butterfat is best

2/3 c. light brown sugar, loosely packed

¼ c. granulated sugar

½ tsp. fleur de sel (or 1/3 tsp. fine salt - but use Fleur de Sel - it's better)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces (or use the Guittard chips!)
Optional (but a nice touch): 1 egg yolk (freeze the white - you can use it for meringue, angel food, floating island, or for brushing the top of Italian cookies!), whisked for coating the logs
Coarse sanding sugar (I like pure white, but if you like colored sugars, have a blast!)

Procedure:

Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together and then whisk it to make sure it's totally combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (Kitchen Aid, fitted with paddle attachment - get a silicone beater blade - you'll LOVE it) or with a hand mixer, beat butter until soft and creamy. 

Add both sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat for another couple of minutes, until fully incorporated.

Turn off the mixer.  Add all dry ingredients.  Truc: put towel over the Kitchen Aid so

you and your kitchen doesn't experience a small nuclear winter. Mix on low speed until incorporated. 

Add chopped chocolate and mix until just incorporated. Be careful - don't overwork this dough. The less you work the batter, the sandier, crumblier and more etherial your sablé will be.

Split into two even blobs (hold them and close your eyes and feel that they weigh the same - like identical twins!)  Gently roll into two logs, each approximately 1 ½ “ in diameter.  Less handling, the better.


Wrap and roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or for up to 3 days.) You can also freeze this dough: Slice it frozen and add about one minute on to baking time. Use a very sharp knife and  If they fall apart during the slicing process, just press them back together.

Preheat oven to 350º F.and place rack in middle of the oven.  I recommend baking one sheet at a time.

If you're coating these with coarse sugar, whisk the egg yolk, and using a pastry brush (not the one you glazed the tamarind chicken wings with), coat the logs and then roll them in coarse, sanding sugar. (You can skip this step, and the cookies will still be wonderful.)

Slice ½” thick cookies and place on parchment (I'm not a big fan of Silpat - I prefer parchment).  They don’t spread much, but leave an inch between for them to breathe while the bake. They're baked business class.

Bake one sheet at a time, for exactly 12 minutes (add one minute if they’re frozen).  These cookies may not look ‘done’, but remove them from the oven anyway.  Cool on rack.

Serve while still warm .. if possible. If not, they're still extraordinary. 

Yield: approx. 3 dozen

Storage: 3 days in a tin, a couple of months, frozen.

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.