Ancho Cashew & Black Sesame Brittle

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In the hierarchy of culinary skills, those who work with sugar and candy are way, way towards the top (perhaps tied with wedding cake decorators for the top spot). What they do is the perfect meeting of art and science. With precision they create beautiful confections that are edible. It's all mystery to me indeed.

I learn a lot every time I try to make candy. Mostly through totally dangerous and freaky mistakes. For instance, yesterday, as black smoke billowed up towards my once white ceiling, and I frantically poured the boiling sugar-syrup down the drain, I learned (well, more like it hit me in a-second-too-late flash) that when hot sugar gets cold, it also gets hard. My drain was closed with a rock solid layer of glass-like sugar. 45 minutes of pouring boiling water down the drain, and then a last resort usage of drain cleaner, it flowed again.

The candy had me beat.

This morning, remembering I had another bottle of corn syrup stashed in the pantry, I decided to go for it again. How could I fail at this? I had to make it work. I got out and measured all of my ingredients. I watched the temperatures like a hawk, stirring like a mad woman, and in the end, I am proud to report I have made the ultimate candy. It has a deep smokey spiciness, while also being sweet, sticky and crunchy, it is a dream come true. If you don't have to worry about your teeth being pulled out, and have a well calibrated thermometer, well, you'd best get into the kitchen.

1 pound cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from chipotle chiles)
Salt
Cayenne pepper
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups light corn syrup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds


Preheat your oven to 200F

On a large, lined sheet pan, toss the cashews with vegetable oil and then adobo sauce. Dry in the oven for about 2 hours. Salt heavily when done. You can use these in the brittle or just regular peanuts.

Line two cookie sheets with buttered parchment or a silicon mat sprinkle lightly with some salt and cayenne.

Combine the first four ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Why? Because as I learned, if you don't do this first, the whole thing will go up in some gnarly smoke. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260°F., about 6 minutes. (Depending on how high your flame goes I guess) Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cashews, butter and cook for another minute. Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir briskly (mixture will foam up), then immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with additional salt. Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until hard, about 20 minutes. Break up and store in a container for up to a week.

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Cashews grow below the cashew apple, instead of inside of it


Today is National Eat A Red Apple Day


In the late 16th Century, a teaspoon of sugar cost the equivalent of five dollars in London