Almonds are used often throughout Miss Pinedo's book and this is not surprising because she lived in Santa Clara county, which is known for its agriculture, including almonds.
UC Davis published "Almond Production in California" by Geisseler and Horwath which states:
Almonds were planted in California as early as 1853. The varieties used were of European origin.
...
In the 1880s, local varieties, more adapted to the climatic conditions, became available and allowed for profitable production of high quality almonds.
...
With adapted varieties available, almond production increased steadily. While the statewide production was about 250 tons in 1888, it averaged 2250 tons between 1910 and 1914 and 4600 tons between 1915 and 1919.
This recipe, on page 28, caught my attention and amused me greatly because of one phrase: "When the almonds squeak, they are removed from the fire."
I really wanted to try it to see if the almonds would squeak or not.
 |
| My translation |
My Redaction (first attempt)
1 pound raw almonds, already shelled
1 pound granulated sugar
4 ounces water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (see both attempts for comments)
Lightly butter a flat pan or cookie sheet. Turn oven on to warm or about 170 degrees F.
Put the almonds in a heavy saucepan; add the water and sugar. Stir well.
Put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Adjust heat downward as needed to keep the mixture for boiling over. Do not stir.
When the almonds start to smell toasted, remove from the heat. Add the extract and stir very well.
Put back over the heat and cook again without stirring until the sugar becomes brown.
Pour the mixture into the buttered pan and quickly spread it so the nuts are a single layer. Put pan into the oven for about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Break into pieces.
My Notes
I interpreted the instructions to peel and open the almonds as meaning to remove their shells. My almonds were already shelled so I used them as they came. Later I came to realize that then instructions probably meant to blanch them and remove their skins ("peel"), then to open the halves. This is why I did a second attempt.
Really this is an almond brittle. You don't want to stir the sugar and nut mixture while it is boiling because this might cause it to crystalize instead of turning to a caramel. This would make it more like candied (sugared) nuts and not a brittle.
Alas, I never heard the almonds squeak. I kept waiting and then I noticed the lovely toasted almond scent just before I started smelling a scorched odor. This is when I took the pan off the heat. So take the pan off as soon as the almonds smell toasted.
I had to guess the amount of lemon extract. I've had nut brittle with lemon flavoring before (though not from extract) so I knew it would be good; I just didn't want to over- or under-do it.
I didn't need to cook it long the second time to get the caramel color on the sugar.
After pouring the mixture on the buttered pan, I very quickly spread it to a one-almond thickness.
I'm not sure if the oven drying process contributes anything but I did it anyway.
Here are pictures of the process along the way:
 |
| Boiled, not stirred |
 |
| After the lemon was added. |
 |
| Poured and spread |
 |
| A little scorching occurred (see dark spots) |
 |
| After breaking up |
The Verdict (for the first attempt)
It was very tasty! The lemon was a nice touch as it kept the flavor from being too sweet. The caramelization was just right - a good flavor and not sticky (so no risk to my teeth). The almonds gave it a toasty, nutty flavor. The scorched areas did not make anything taste bad.
It was at this point I realized I should have skinned and split the nuts. They were a bit big for each bite, although I didn't have a problem with it. I also thought that the white almond look would be better, more intriguing, due to the contrast with the brown syrup.
The Second Attempt
Before following the directions given in the first attempt, pour boiling water over the almonds. Allow them to sit until cool enough to handle, then remove skins and split the halves or cut the nuts into pieces.
Or just buy blanched, chopped almonds.
My Notes
Some of the nuts had skins that slipped off easily. Others were stubborn and I had to scrape them off with a fingernail or the edge of a spoon. This was not easy.
Also, at first I was trying to separate the halves with my fingers, but this got my fingers sore very quickly. This is when I started just cutting the nuts into big chunks (two or three per nut).
Frankly, after doing this for about 4 ounces of almonds, I stopped. My hands hurt and I hadn't gotten very far. This is why I recommend buying blanched, chopped almonds.
Four ounces and the reduced amount of sugar and water cooked too quickly. Maybe my pan was too big. When I smelled the slight toasted smell, I removed it from the heat but the mixture started to sugar up. I added some hot water to dissolve the crystals and to recook it. It started to sugar again so I added the extract, stirred it, then poured it out on the buttered pan without waiting for the syrup to caramel.
I put in 1/8 teaspoon of extract, so twice what I put in for the first attempt (to match it would have required 1/16 teaspoon for 1/4 the recipe). Then into the oven.
So I didn't get the color contrast I had hoped for but at least it was a sort of a brittle.
The Verdict (the second attempt)
This was also tasty. You can see that there was some toasting of the almonds (light brown spots). If the sugaring hadn't happened, I might have gotten more toasting.
The lemon flavor was more noticeable but still very good. It is a surprising flavor and compliments the almond and sugar well. You can choose your preference on this and expect it to be good.
No comments:
Post a Comment