Recipe - Croccante

1 Part white sugar
1 Part nuts; (almonds, or
hazelnuts, or peanuts),
shelled
2 teaspoon Butter for every pound of
sugar+nuts
1 pn Salt
Butter or oil for the dish
1 Lemon; thoroughly washed to
get rid of the chemicals,
(or home grown :)

Almond and hazelnuts can be either peeled or not. Peanuts are best peeled.

Roughly chop the nuts (peanuts can be left whole they will split into
halves anyway) and place them in a heavybottomed frying pan with the sugar
and butter. Slightly grease a tin (or earthenware) dish with a little oil
or butter. Cook the mixture of nuts and sugar over medium heat until the
sugar turns bright brown, stirring continuously. (If you like a more
"roasted" taste, roast the nuts alone for 10 minutes before adding sugar
and butter.) Pour the mixture in the dish and, using the lemon as a rolling
pin, press it down to a shape 1/2inch thick (or thinner, if you can!).
WARNING: Croccante can be pressed down only if it's very hot, so proceed
carefully to avoid burns! Allow to cool. Store in glass jars or tin boxes,
or simply packed up in greaseproof paper, and keep it in a dry place (NOT
in the refrigerator cold temperature is OK, but refrigerators are too
humid, and the sugar in your croccante might melt and make it sticky).

Lucretia, Italian in Australia

Posted to recipeludigest by jeryder@juno.com on Mar 17, 1998