Category: Dessert – Confections

Salted pecan-toffee crunch

Servings: 
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/food/roundup-food/2024/12/11/chef-owners-of-protege-rasa-italico-and-more-share-their-favorite-holiday-recipes/

Anthony Secviar, chef and co-owner of Palo Alto’s Michelin-starred Protégé restaurant, shared his recipe for salted pecan-toffee crunch – a holiday treat that’s a beloved tradition in his family.

Ingredients: 

Saltine crackers, as needed
3 cups almonds, toasted with skin on
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
½ vanilla bean, split and seed scraped (alternatively: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chips
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

Directions: 

Line a quarter sheet pan with foil and cover with a piece of pre-cut parchment. Arrange a single layer of saltine crackers to completely cover the bottom of the pan (you may need to trim crackers to fit evenly in one layer). Distribute the toasted almonds over the crackers (there should only be one layer) and put aside.

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom saucepan, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the caramel turns the color of toasted almond skins (7-9 minutes).

Once the color is achieved, remove from heat and immediately pour the hot toffee over the almonds and crackers, carefully spreading to form an even layer that coats the nuts. Allow to cool at room temperature for approximately 2 minutes and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the toffee. The chocolate will melt to form an even layer over the toffee and nuts (you may need to gently spread the chocolate with a plastic spatula to form an even layer and aid with the melting).

Finish the toffee by sprinkling the finely chopped pecans over the top before chocolate has cooled. Transfer tray into the refrigerator and allow to cool until chocolate and toffee has set (20-30 minutes). Remove from refrigerator, lift out the parchment paper with toffee, remove parchment and break into desired shapes/sizes. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate and Pomegranate Bark

Servings: 8 – Approximately 3/4 lb
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Source: Melissa Clark , NYT

Quick, festive and fabulous

Ingredients: 

140 grams bittersweet chocolate (5 ounces)
20 grams crystallized ginger (2 tablespoons)
140 grams fresh pomegranate seeds (1cup)
6 grams flaky sea salt (1teaspoon)

Directions: 

1. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler….Sit the chocolate until fully melted. Remove the bowl that contains the melted chocolate from the double-boiler and stir in the crystallized ginger and half of the pomegranate seeds.

2. Use a small baking sheet (toaster oven size) and line it with parchment paper. Pour the melted chocolate onto the sheet. Use a spatula to smooth the chocolate into one even layer about 1/4 inch thick (it does not need to fill the entire sheet). Sprinkle the chocolate with the remaining pomegranate seeds and sea salt.

3. Chill the chocolate bark for at least 30 minutes or until firm. Break or cut into small pieces. Store in an airtight container. Serve the same day because condensation may occur.

Caramel Popcorn

Servings: 4 Quarts
Source: Fine Cooking 68, pp. 49
At Craft restaurant in Manhattan, where I work as the pastry chef, I like to send out a small bowl of caramel popcorn as a parting gift to guests. I prefer yellow popcorn; it seems to yield the biggest popped kernels.

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, such as peanut or canola
1/2 cup popcorn kernels, preferably yellow kernels
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1-1/2 oz (3 Tbs.) cold
unsalted butter, cut into sm pieces

Variations
Spicy: Stir 3/4 tsp cayenne into the baking soda and add to the caramel as directed.
Nutty: Toss 2 cup lightly salted peanuts with the popcorn before pouring on the hot caramel.

Directions
Pop the popcorn: Spray two large heatproof rubber spatulas and a very large metal bowl (at least twice the volume of the popped popcorn) with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly wipe with vegetable oil. Heat the oil in an 8-quart or larger heavy-based stockpot over high heat. After a minute, put a popcorn kernel in the pot and cover. When the kernel pops, the oil is hot enough. Add the rest of the popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and shake it back and forth over the heat to agitate the kernels. Keep moving the pot as the popcorn pops. Remove the pot from the heat when the popping slows almost to a stop (it’s better to have a few unpopped kernels than burnt popcorn) and immediately pour the popped corn into the large metal bowl. Search through the popcorn, removing any unpopped kernels (which fall to the bottom of the bowl) or burnt pieces.

Make the caramel: Measure the baking soda into a small dish so it’s ready to go. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment, foil, or nonstick silicone mats. In a 4-quart or larger saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, butter, and 1 cup water. Gently stir with a wooden or metal spoon just enough to immerse the sugar. Brush down the sides of the pot with water and a clean pastry brush. Cook the sugar mixture over high heat without stirring until it melts and bubbles and turns a very light golden caramel color on top; this will take 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your stove. The caramel will be darker than it appears on the surface, so don’t overcook. At this point, remove the pot from the heat.

Working quickly off the heat, thoroughly whisk the baking soda into the caramel. Do this in or near the sink in case it spills over. The baking soda aerates the caramel, which makes it easier to eat when it’s cool, but causes it to bubble vigorously now, so be careful. Immediately pour the bubbling caramel over the popcorn in the bowl. Only use the caramel that pours out easily; don’t scrape the sides of the pot (the sugar on the sides of the pot crystallizes easily and can cause the caramel to do the same).

Using the heatproof spatulas, toss the caramel with the popcorn. When the popcorn is thoroughly coated, pour it onto the lined baking sheets and use the spatulas to pat it into one flat layer. As soon as it’s cool enough to touch, use your hands to break the layer into smaller clusters. Let them cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to a week.