Krokant Recipes

CROQUANT

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Spread the sugar in a heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar around the edges to moisten and melt the sugar crystals in the center.
• Add the nuts and stir gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the nuts onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread as evenly as possible. Let cool completely.
• Once cool, break the Croquant up in a food processor, or place it in a zip-top freezer bag and use a mallet or rolling pin to crush it.
• I like a lot of croquant in my ice cream and use the entire batch, but you may use less if you want. Add 1 to 2 cups (175 to 350 g) of crushed Croquant to 1 quart (1 liter) of ice cream in the machine during the last minute of churning.
• Croquant can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the freezer or at room temperature.

FRANKFURTER KRANZ A LA DR. OETKER

Steps:

• 1. DOUGH:.
• 2. Preheat oven to 360ºF.
• 3. Cream the butter til fluffy.
• 4. Add sugar 1 tbsp at the time, mix until creamy.
• 5. Add eggs 1 at a time, mix until smooth.
• 6. Mix flour, starch, baking powder and salt.
• 7. Add flour mixture 1 tbsp at a time until fully absorbed.
• 8. Pour into a greased & floured bundt pan.
• 9. Bake for 35 to 45 minute toothpick should come out clean.
• 10. BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:.
• 11. Prepare pudding per package directions using only 1 1/2 cup milk.
• 12. Cool pudding, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin while cooling.
• 13. Bring butter to almost room temperature.
• 14. Cream butter.
• 15. Stir 1 cup pudding into creamed butter 1 tbsp at a time (be sure temperatures are pretty even and not to cold, otherwise the mix will separate).
• 16. KROKANT or BRITTLE:.
• 17. In a nonstick pan over medium heat stir butter and sugar until sugar is slightly brown.
• 18. Stir in nuts and cook on low heat until it all has a nice cognac color (220ºF brittle stage on candy thermometer).
• 19. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet and let cool completely.
• 20. Break into real small pieces (English toffee bits could be substituted).
• 21. ASSEMBLY.
• 22. Cut cooled cake in three layers.
• 23. Spread 1/2 cup butter cream frosting on each cut layer and reassemble cake.
• 24. Frost cake outside with remaining butter cream frosting, reserving about 1/3 cup.
• 25. Sprinkle krokant or brittle over entire cake.
• 26. Decorate with reserved butter cream frosting.
• 27. It's best if it has a day to sit in the refrigerator.

KROKANT

Steps:

• Coat the back of a baking sheet, a metal rolling pin, a 1 1/2-inch round plain-edge cookie cutter, and the blade of a large chef's knife or a pizza wheel with the vegetable oil; set aside.
• In a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar, corn syrup, and the water to a boil without stirring. Brush down the sides of the pan two times with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Add the split vanilla bean and cook until the mixture registers 240°F on a sugar thermometer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula.
• Add the almonds, salt, and butter, and stir constantly until the mixture registers 290°F on a sugar thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour the mixture onto the oiled baking sheet. With the oiled rolling pin, roll out the mixture to 1/8 inch thick. With a fork, remove the vanilla bean. It is necessary to work very fast because the mixture sets up rapidly and becomes too brittle to cut. Cut out circles with the oiled round cutter and cut the remainder of the krokant into 1-inch squares with the oiled chef's knife or pizza wheel.
• Let the krokant cool completely (about 30 minutes), then separate it into the circles and squares with your fingers. The remaining pieces can be ground to a fine powder in a food processor for use in other recipes. At this point, in a tightly covered container, between sheets of waxed paper, krokant will keep for 2 weeks at room temperature.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 25-30). Place a piece of the krokant in the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the piece from the chocolate, gently shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the krokant out onto the paper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of krokant. After dipping 4 pieces, press the tines of the fork onto the top of each piece to form a line design before the chocolate sets up.
• Let the chocolate set up at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Place the finished krokant in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container, the krokant will keep for 1 week at room temperature.
• Substitute toasted, skinned, finely chopped hazelnuts for the almonds.