Espresso Brittle Recipes

BASIC BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet withcooking spray. Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook,swirling occasionally, until mixture just starts to turn golden around edge.
• Stir in mix-ins. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is pale amber, about 8 minutes. Pour onto baking sheet without spreading. Let cool. Break into pieces.

ESPRESSO AND WALNUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inchrimmed baking sheet withcooking spray. Bring sugarand corn syrup to a boil in amedium saucepan, stirringand brushing down sides witha wet pastry brush to preventsugar crystals from forming,until sugar dissolves. Cook,swirling occasionally, untilmixture just starts to turn goldenaround edge.
• Stir in mix-ins. Cook, stirringoccasionally, until mixtureis pale amber, about8 minutes. Pour onto bakingsheet without spreading.Let cool. Break into pieces.

NO-BAKE ESPRESSO CREMES BRULEES

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Arrange four 4 1/2-inch creme brulee dishes (1 inch deep) on a baking sheet. Freeze.
• Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, espresso, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until sugar has almost dissolved. Bring cream and milk to a boil in a saucepan; gradually whisk about half into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan; whisk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture is thick and reaches 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes; pour over chocolate, and whisk until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Divide among molds, and freeze until firm but not frozen, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon raw sugar onto each custard; shake off excess. Caramelize tops using a handheld kitchen torch.

BETTER-THAN-THE-BAG BROWNIE CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with nonstick spray.
• Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring between each interval. Stir sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso into the melted chocolate. Set aside.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda together.
• Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Mix in the flour mixture until a thick batter forms.
• Spread batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Place another baking sheet on top and smash it flat to ensure the batter is as thin as possible. Peel off plastic wrap and sprinkle chocolate chips over the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet before breaking up into pieces.

ESPRESSO BRITTLE SHARDS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.If using espresso beans, place them in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a coffee grinder, and process until the beans are finely chopped. (The beans can also be left in the coffee bag and crushed with a mallet or rolling pin.)Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over high heat. Allow the mixture to boil for 4 to 5 minutes or until it turns light amber in color, swirling the pot occasionally (do not stir). Using a wooden spoon, blend in the crushed coffee beans and cook for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Tilt the sheet to make a 9- to 10-inch circle of the mixture. It does not have to be perfectly round. When the brittle has cooled, break it into large, triangular pieces. Store the brittle in an airtight container.From ULTIMATE SMOOTHIES: delicious recipes for over 125 of the best smoothies, freezes, and blasts. Copyright © 2000 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.