Almond brittle (Sahoon)

November 8, 2014  •  Category:

 


An easy candy to make at home, this is made of just toasted almonds mixed with a caramel. It is called sahoon in Iraq where it is popular.  I had it once at an Iranian Bazaar in Beirut, where it is mixed with bits of pistachios and maybe a touch of saffron. The French make it and call it nougatine and use it as a crust sometimes. In the US, it is called brittle and is mainly done with peanuts. In any case, it is fun to make and even more fun to nibble at with hot tea on a cool afternoon.

Two important tips: Make sure the almonds are roasted in a slow oven (300F). This intensifies their taste. the next delicate step is not to burn the caramel. The color needs to be light brown.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups peeled almonds, sliced or coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon white vinegar or  lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 300F and spread the almonds on a greased cookie sheet. Roast the almonds for about 12 minutes until light brown. Meanwhile, place the sugar in a saucepan with the water and vinegar or lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir gently from time to time, until the caramel is golden-light brown. Add the almonds and stir rapidly. Transfer to the cookie sheet and flatten with a large piece of baking paper and a rolling pin. Cool and break into serving pieces. Keep in a tightly closed box away from humidity.

Note: You can add 2 tablespoons of tahini to the caramel (as soon as the caramel is ready) prior to adding the almonds.

sahoon
almond candy

Comments

12 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. leaf (the indolent cook) says:

    Looks perfectly done, such a beautiful golden brown colour. I’m liking the idea of adding tahini, too!

  2. Rosa says:

    Heavenly and perfect with a cup of tea.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  3. Joumana says:

    @leaf (the indolent cook): yes the addition of tahini is done in the iraqi kitchens.

  4. Krista says:

    Mmm, I haven’t had brittle in so long! I like the sounds of your roasted almond version very much indeed. 🙂

  5. Hélène (Cannes) says:

    Je vais essayer avec le tahini. C’est extrêmement tentant ! Merci encore pour toutes ces belles idées. Rebises et à très vite
    Hélène

  6. Mirta Porley says:

    Very tempting, I’ve loved all your recipes , I now know a little more of their cocina.
    Greetings from Uruguay .

  7. Susan says:

    Toffees and Brittles are so welcome and delicious at this time of year. I really like the tahini addition!

  8. Oui, Chef says:

    I could live on brittles….so good with afternoon tea!

  9. Hisham Assaad says:

    Isn’t it like the semsmiyi or fest2iyi that we used to eat here in Lebanon?
    This brittle sounds great

  10. Joumana says:

    @Hisham Assaad: yes, it is similar. I have a post on how to make semsmiyeh. Let me look for it.

  11. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says:

    This is the time of year for brittle and this one looks so good. I am used to peanut brittle and after I moved to Australia I made macadamia nut brittle. Almond is next on my list!

Add a Comment