Trick or treat? We’re all aware of this Halloween tradition. Give out a treat, and you’ll be spared from a wicked trick. Here at COOK not only do we want to give you treats, we also want to give you kitchen tricks! Check in each week leading up to Halloween for tasty treat recipes and helpful kitchen tricks to prepare you for the spooky festivities ahead. This edition we’re giving you a candy recipe from our cookbook library to impress your friends. Treat your friends and family to this simple, three-ingredient almond brittle – perfect for spooky gift baskets or Halloween parties!

Croccante means crunchy in Italian, which accurately describes this dark almond brittle. The croccante recipe comes from the late great Italian culinary icon Marcella Hazan and is featured in Food52‘s book, Genius Desserts. Marcella’s almond candy recipe is so good that someone had once “wanted to package this praline and distribute it as candy”. Well, you can do exactly that this Halloween. Just be sure to only share it with friends and family – don’t replace your pre-wrapped candy for trick or treaters with it. It’s just too good!

Croccante
Makes about 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 (170 g) whole blanched almonds
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) sugar
• 1 large potato, washed and dried well, cut in half crosswise

Directions

Very finely chop the all the almonds with a chef’s knife. Scoop the almond bits into a bowl, discarding any dust. Spread a large sheet of parchment paper on a heat-proof surface. Brush the vegetable oil on the parchment paper evenly.

Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan with a light-colored interior and melt the sugar over medium-high heat without stirring. Swirl and tilt the pan occasionally. When the melted sugar turns a rich yellowish-brown color after about 8-10 minutes, add the almond bits in. Stir them occasionally and cook for another 2 minutes until a deep dark brown.

Pour the mixture over the parchment paper. Use one half of the potato to smooth out the hot praline to about 1/8 of an inch. When the croccante is cool to the touch but not fully cool, flip it onto a cutting board and peel off the parchment. Cut the slab into roughly 2 inch diamond shapes and let cool. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature.

Come into COOK today and grab this book (or another) from our extensive cookbook library. You’ll be cooking up Halloween treats that will make your friends and family SCREAM with joy!