Breaking Bad – oh how I miss thee! Before I get started on my foodie post I want to lament the loss of such a great show. My partner introduced me to it three years ago. I am not a big TV person – so it took some arm twisting – but after the first episode I was hooked and spent hours compulsively watching past seasons. As all you Breaking Bad fans out there know, this year was the last. I have a funny relationship with it. The main character Walt, is seriously flawed and despite all of his wrong doings I still found myself rooting for him on some basic level. It was a emotional ride and some of the best writing and acting I have come across. It also makes you question yourself and your own values. My partner and I spent many a night debating events on this show. If you haven’t watched it yet – do it! You will not be disappointed.
As an ode the end of Breaking Bad I have decided to include my personal drug of choice – the one, the only, the worst of the worst – the Walter White of my kitchen – refined white sugar. I soooooo want it to be good – and surely it tastes divine – but I know that it is one of the worst things for me to eat. Once in a blue moon I will unabashedly throw three cups of sugar into a heavy pan and warm it until it becomes a lava of molten brown goodness. I throw in a chunk of creamy butter, two cups of roasted almonds and stud with salt crystals and viola! Salted Almond Brittle heaven.
The best part about this recipe is the simplicity. Sugar, almonds, butter and salt. You don’t have to mess around with corn syrup, candy thermometers or water. It’s one of the easiest and tastiest candies around.
Breaking Bad Salted Almond Brittle Ingredients:
3 Cups of refined white sugar
2 Cups of roughly chopped toasted almonds (you can add more of less nuts depending on taste – but be sure to toast them)
1 tablespoon of salted butter (I like my sweet and salty)
salt to taste
Directions:
Lay out a piece of parchment paper. I use the dry sugar method to make this brittle. David Lebovitz does a great tutorial on this, check it out. This is best for darker candies. I like the slightly browned flavour it imparts. Heat the sugar over medium low heat. Do NOT stir it. The key is keep the sugar on the bottom from burning. Take your time and opt for lower temperatures. This is not a process to rush. When you see some of the sugar is starting to liquify, drag it from the bottom into the center of the pan. Be sure not to over stir, this will make the sugar lumpy and slow the process. If you do get lumps, don’t worry. Just turn the heat down and keep stirring until the candy becomes uniformly smooth and copper brown. Colour is everything. You want it to be a rich, reddish brown. Anything past this stage and you will only taste burned sugar. Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Quickly whisk in a tablespoon of salted butter and the nuts. Be fast. If you wait too long the brittle will stick to the pan. Pour the candy onto the prepared parchment paper and with a spatula smooth it out to your desired thickness. Wait until the candy is cooled and then stud with salt and break it up! All this deliciousness made possible by the one and only Mr. White 😉 Sometimes it is just plain good to be bad.
Loved breaking bad! I cried at the end. This brittle looks great!
Me too Janelle! It was a sad day. Wish there were more shows out there w. such good writing and acting! Although I do love me some house of cards;)