Day 13 Of Rosie's Christmas Baking - Hazelnut Crunch.

It is Sunday, Day 13. First, today, I'm making Hazelnut Crunch. This is one of Giada's recipes: Noci Croccante. Imagine noci croccante dramatically over-enunciated and Italianized by Giada. I noticed the date I printed this out was December 3, 2005, and I'm just getting around to trying it. Should have made this sooner.

Hazelnut Crunch 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup dark corn syrup 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts 2 TB unsalted butter 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the sugar, water, light corn syrup, and dark corn syrup in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until thermometer registers 260 degrees. Reduce heat to medium low. Mix in hazelnuts, butter, and salt and cook until thermometer registers 295 degrees, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in baking soda and immediately pour the caramel onto parchment, spreading it as thinly as possible. Let stand until hard, then break brittle into pieces.

Corn syrups going into pan.

Sugar joining the party.

And the water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Then increase heat to high. Boil without stirring until 260 degrees.

Butter goes in.

Add in salt and hazelnuts.

Cook until thermometer registers 295.

You have to work fast after you pour in the baking soda. The mixture will change to a lighter color and get all foamy.

Working very quickly, spread out the mixture in the pan. It helps to have an extra set of hands here.

Let cool. Then break into pieces.

Yum.