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| MANGIA BENE PASTA |
| CROCCANTE - ITALIAN PRALINE |
| Popular throughout Italy, especially in the south and Sicily, croccante (literally, crunchy) is a mixture of caramelized sugar and almonds. It is very easy to make at home. After it hardens, it is broken into pieces. It can be served alongside after-dinner coffee. It can also be crushed or ground up and used as a topping for ice cream or added as a flavoring to cannoli cream or other desserts. You can store it for weeks in a tightly covered container, but once you start munching, it won't last very long. |
| Croccante Recipe |
| (Makes about 1 pound) |
| 1 cup sugar |
| 1 TB. light corn syrup |
| 1-1/2 cups whole or slivered blanched almonds, toasted |
| Butter a baking sheet and set it aside on a heat-protected surface. |
| Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a wide, shallow pan. |
| With a metal spoon, stir continuously until the mixture looks like wet sand. |
| Set the pan over low heat and allow the mixture to melt and caramelize. |
| Stir the mixture occasionally for 15-20 minutes. |
| The mixture should be golden brown (240 degrees F on a candy thermometer) |
| Quickly stir in the almonds. |
| Pour the hot croccante on the prepared baking sheet and spread it out with a spoon. |
| Allow the croccante to cool and harden. |
| After the croccante has cooled, break it into coarse pieces to us as a candy. |
| To use as a garnish or flavoring, chop it finely with a knife. |
| You can also use a food processor but don't reduce it to too fine a powder. |
| Store croccante in a container in a cool, dry place. |
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| Remove the pan from the heat. |
