Favorite garnishes part 3: easy brittles (and Happy New Year!)

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Moelleux chocolat/mascarpone cream/sesame brittle

I freely and proudly admit that I’m a dough loving gal in the pastry kitchen. Give me tart dough, puff pastry, croissant and Danish dough, yeast breads (lean and enriched) and shortbread and I’m a happy camper.

Other than the occasional chocolate nut bark or cluster, soft caramel or chocolate truffle, candy making isn’t something I do often. But, particularly when it comes to a tasty garnish, there’s nothing like a snappy brittle to brighten up one’s day. Not only great for a small snack when you’re craving a hint of sweet crunch, they’re a wonderful way to dress up small cakes, custards, ice cream, tarts . . . . . . . . I think you know where I’m going with this.

Here I’ll focus on what has become my go-to-perfect-for-garnsh brittle recipe, compliments of Yotam Ottolenghi”s book “Sweet”. So straight forward with nary any muss nor fuss with candy thermometers or sugar cooking stages. Let’s keep it easy!.

Ottolenghi’s sesame brittle

Here’s a previous post with the recipe and one of the ways I’ve used it. And here’s the recipe again with a printable PDF here.

  1. Toast 125 g sesame seeds (mix of 1/3 black and 2/3 white or all white like I did) either in the oven at 325ºF for about 10 minutes until nicely brown, stirring occasionally, or in a skillet on medium-low on the stove top. Do what you're most comfortable with. Set aside. Increase the oven temp to 350ºF.

  2. Have two half sheet pans and four pieces of parchment (or two parchment and two silicone mats) at the ready.

  3. In a medium saucepan put 100 g granulated sugar, 100 g light corn syrup, 50 g unsalted butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stirring constantly on high heat, blend the mixture and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds.

  4. Put two pieces of parchment (or Silpat!) on a heat proof surface (I used two overturned half sheet pans) and pour half of the sesame mixture on each. Cover with the other parchment pieces and roll with a rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick.

  5. Slide the paper with the sesame caramel onto half sheet pans and remove the top layer of parchment. Peel it back gently, using an oiled silicone spatula to push down any caramel that might stick. Bake for about 20 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from oven, cool and break into shards.

Oiled spatula to hold the brittle down while removing the parchment

Bubbling away in the oven

Out of the oven

Pumpkin custard tart with sesame brittle from a Thanksgiving past

I also made a HALF recipe of a cocoa/cacao nib version by subbing cacao nibs (60 g in this case) for the sesame seeds and adding 10 g sifted Dutch process cocoa powder into the sugar/butter mixture along with the nibs. It’s another great addition to teacakes and ice cream as well as a garnish or crunchy layer for desserts, particularly when you need a bit of chocolate-ness.

Note: the cacao nibs I use are pretty chunky so I put them in a zip-top bag and pound them with the smooth side of a meat mallet to crush them up. It works!

Cacao nib version

These brittles come out thin and crispy without fear of any tooth-sticking pull. They store nicely in single layers between pieces of parchment or waxed paper in a well sealed container (ideally in a cool/non-humid environment) and can also be frozen for several weeks.

Get creative with your own version. I’ve done one with puffed rice. Finely chopped nuts of choice are always an option and crushed pumpkin seeds aren’t bad either.

Before I go, here’s a quick tart project I did to use up some leftover components in my fridge and freezer. I had enough dough for a few small tarts; some dark chocolate ganache (3 parts cream to 2 parts chocolate); a handful of petite, frozen ricotta custard rounds from an earlier project; some thawed roasted Michigan strawberry purée that I had used for our Christmas Eve dessert (more on that later); a little bit of white chocolate to make a loose ganache for whipping; plenty of cacao nib brittle.

I blind baked some chocolate tart shells with my favorite chocolate tart dough - one 140 mm “sharing” size and four 65 mm individual sizes. TIP: this is a good plan ahead step since you can freeze blind baked tart shells for days.

Two of the smaller tarts served as a quick dessert after the Christmas holiday, filled with ganache, topped with whipped cream and crushed nibs. So tasty.

For the remaining tarts I brushed some dark chocolate ganache on the bottoms . . . . . .

then sprinkled crushed cacao nib brittle over the chocolate and popped in the frozen ricotta rounds (they thaw pretty fast but hold their shape).

I spooned the ganache around as best I could. It’s a tad messy but will be covered up so no one’s the wiser. You could pipe it in too but I wasn’t in the mood.

I added a generous soup spoon full of strawberry purée to the chilled white chocolate ganache (used 120g heavy cream to 40 g white chocolate) and whipped it up to soft peaks. For the sharing size tart I piped the cream around and over the ricotta discs then topped with fresh raspberries and more crushed nib brittle.

Et voilà - our New Year’s Eve dessert!

Triple chocolate tart with berry cream

Psst . . . . the smaller tarts were used as taste tests. I was able to spread the softened ricotta flush into the tartelettes then top with a bit of berry cream and nib brittle for a midday snack that Steve and I so enjoyed. Yum - the chocolate crust and ganache with the smooth ricotta custard, hint of berry cream and crunchy nibs is just divine.

Happy New Year everyone and may 2022 bring us new adventures and peaceful, happy days!

I’ll leave you with just a hint of the lovely holiday displays at nearby Meijer Gardens

 
 

Favorite garnishes part 2: candied citrus

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Citrus teacakes

On to part 2 of my favorite garnishes - candied citrus. It takes a bit of time but is a perfect project for a snowy winter day. Put on some music, feel a calm come over you and have fun!

Lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, tangelo - all are fair game. Check out this post on just one way to use them.

Orange craquelin

To candy citrus peels you’ll need a couple of small to medium sized sauce pans and a medium strainer.

In one pan make a simple syrup using equal parts granulated cane sugar and water (1/2 to 3/4 cup each should be plenty), and in the other one place enough cold water in which to immerse your citrus peels.

Prep the peels by cutting the rind off the fruit, white pith and all, then trimming the pith off (there will invariably be some left) to leave the colored outer skin (the oils and flavor are here!) Cut the peel into matchsticks and place them in the pan with the cold water.

Bring to a boil, strain and rinse, refill the pan with fresh cold water then repeat the process two more times. This helps reduce the bitterness.

Now put the peels into the simple syrup and simmer until softened and translucent. This can take 30 minutes or so. Go ahead and busy yourself with cookie dough or pastry cream or cake batter. You’ve got time.

Starting the process

All softened up - see the difference?

Remove from the heat and let cool. At this point you can store them in the syrup in the fridge for several weeks, using as desired.

You can also separate some out, strain off the syrup and toss them in sugar.

Separate and place them on a wire grid to dry then store in a covered container at room temperature for a couple of weeks.

Either the sugared and dried rinds or the soft and refrigerated-in-syrup rinds are great for a garnish on a tartelette or teacake. Or chop them up finely and add to your cake batter, cookie or brioche dough or Swiss meringue buttercream. You be the judge.

Hint: the sugared/dried pieces are lovely with a small piece of chocolate and a few candied nuts for a satisfying after meal treat when you’re looking for just a little something.

Meanwhile, feel the calm and peace of the holiday season. We all deserve it.

My handmade angel shoes

Favorite garnishes part 1: candied nuts

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Lightly candied sliced almonds

Lightly candied sliced almonds

Wow! It seems like this one’s been awhile in the making. Let’s just say that life has a way of taking us on a variety of paths and unknowns.

Now let’s talk about garnishes! It’s time to take your pastries and desserts to the next level with . . . . . . . Crunchies!!

Whether you choose cookie crumbs, candied citrus, nutty crumbles, brittles or candied nuts, they’ll all add that extra splash your creations deserve. Use as garnishes on top of ice cream, teacakes, baked fruit and custard desserts or tuck them into creamy layers between your favorite cake slices and you’ll be the happier for it. It’s the little things that make all the difference.

I’ve touched on many of these when writing about different projects over the years, but now I’ve attempted to organize some of my favorites in separate posts so as not to overwhelm with too much info.

Let’s talk nuts. I’ll explain three approaches to candied nuts. Generally you’ll need the stove top and in some cases the oven. I find silicone mats perfect for these projects - no sticking plus easy cleanup.

Start with a clean slate, as it were - use raw, non-salted, non-roasted nuts. I typically have almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios and hazelnuts in my larder and, unless I know I’m going to use them within a few weeks, I keep them in the freezer up to six months to preserve freshness.

Here we go. The first approach calls for making a syrup on the stovetop, stirring in your choice of nuts (whole or sliced) and then baking in the oven to crisp things up. Sounds good.

Heat your oven to 350ºF. In a small saucepan stir together 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon corn syrup and a large pinch of kosher salt. Bring it to a boil over medium heat then remove from the heat and stir in 1.5 cups (~ 200g) of nuts until coated. Then spread the mix out on a parchment or silicone lined 1/2 sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes. Stir them up and bake another 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and store in an airtight container at room temp. They should last several weeks and are great for garnishing ice cream, custards, crisps, tarts or whatever your little heart desires. Even your morning oatmeal. And they’re not bad all by themselves!!

Cherry almond Breton tartelettes with almond crunchies

The next approach (which I refer to as the egg white method) uses a bowl, whisk, rubber or silicone (my preferred) spatula and the oven (no stovetop). I particularly love making pistachios this way, coarsely chopped and blended into my favorite Breton shortbread dough for just the right touch of crunch. Yum.

Halve or double the recipe to suit your needs. Prep note - you’ll be toasting and cooling the nuts first before blending them into the egg white mixture and then back into the oven. You can do the toasting a few days ahead of time and store the nuts at room temperature in a covered container.

Heat the oven to 300 - 325ºF depending on the nuts you’re using (325º for whole almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts; 300º for pecans and pistachios which tend to burn more easily). Spread 2 cups (about 227 g / 8 ounces) of nuts in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast them about 8-10 minutes to bring out the fragrance. Let cool. Keep the oven on at the same temperature at which you toasted the nuts.

If you’re like me and save your egg whites for various purposes, this is just one way to use ‘em. In a medium bowl whisk 1/2 or ~ 16 g (give or take) of a large egg white with about 75 g of granulated sugar and a pinch of salt until the mixture has thickened and looks like a loose meringue. Don’t fret about the egg white - using one large white will simply give you a frothier coating.

NOTE: change things up by using brown sugar instead of white and adding spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon or coriander (or a mix!) for a tasty option.

Blend the nuts into the mix and spread out on a parchment lined pan.

Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so until the egg white mixture appears dry and crunchy, coating the nuts. Let cool and store in a covered container at room temperature for a couple of weeks.

Use whole as a teacake topper; coarsely crush/chop as a garnish for your favorite ice cream; pulse them up in a food processor and blend into buttercream for your favorite layered cake or dessert creation.

Cocoa hazelnut teacakes with white chocolate-mascarpone cream

Buttercream anyone?

The last method also involves toasting the nuts first so have your oven ready. The nuts should be warm when blending them into the caramel for which you’ll need a medium-large saucepan. Have a silicone-mat-lined or buttered baking sheet on which to spread the caramelized nuts. This is akin to making brittle (coming up in a future garnishes post) but no baking soda here.

During my schooling at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and internship at Pâtisserie Pascal Pinaud, we referred to this concoction as nougatine - caramelized nuts, spread out and cooled, then ground up into crunchy goodness for layering the many entremets that the French love to make and eat. Here’s just one entremet example.

I’m making a pistachio nougatine here. I’ve toasted 170 g / 6 oz pistachios and have them waiting warmly on the side. Have a silicon spatula lightly oiled at the ready.

Place 300 g / 1.5 cups granulated sugar and 60 ml / 1/4 cup water in your saucepan on low to dissolve the sugar.

Once the sugar is dissolved turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil.

Cook the sugar to a lovely medium amber. The image below is almost there. When I get close, I give it another 30 seconds or so to reach my desired color. Don’t wait too long - you don’t want burned sugar. After you’ve done it a bunch of times, you just know when to snatch it off the heat.

Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the nuts with the oiled spatula. Scrape out onto the silpat lined sheet pan and spread into a single layer. Don’t hesitate - just do it.

Let cool. Your options now are to break it up into smaller pieces (a mallet is great for this!) as a topping for ice cream or process it to medium fine crumbs and use it as a garnish or layer for your chosen dessert.

Pistachio nougatine

WARNING! Please be careful when breaking this up since edges of caramel can be extremely sharp. Believe me, I’ve been there.

That’s it for now. You have a number of things in your dessert armamentarium that will add just that special touch. Go for it.

Next time - candied citrus . . . . . and more to follow that. All in due time.

On a final note, as noted at the beginning of this post, it’s taken me awhile to get this one finished. Life events tend to trap our attention when we least expect it. The main thing is to stay positive, stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.

See you next time around!

A last gasp of bittersweet