Fleur de Sel and Hazelnut Brittle

If I was asked to name my favorite cookies of all, that would be it. Although, I’m not so sure that they can be actually considered as cookies per se. Or maybe they can because of their shape, in this particular case. Anyway, they are my favorite thing.

Makes a lot. It is really not possible to track the exact quantity since a lot of them become stolen, or eaten by the baker herself during the process…

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ cup finely ground toasted hazelnuts (or other nuts of your choice)
  • Fleur de sel for sprinkling on the cookies

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line a large baking pan or a cookie sheet with parchment, foil, or a silicone mat. Set aside.

In a heavy small saucepan over moderate heat, stir together the sugar, water, and the cream of tartar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, then raise the heat to moderately high and boil without stirring, occasionally brushing down sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until syrup turns golden caramel in color. Pour the caramel onto the prepared baking pan and let cool completely.

Brake the caramel into 1-inch pieces and grind in a food processor to the consistency of granular sugar. Stir in the ground nuts.

Reline the baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone mat. Spread the caramel mixture very thinly inside a round (or any shape, according to your preference) cookie cutter placed on the prepared baking sheet. Gently lift the cookie cutter and repeat until you have 8-10 circles. Carefully place the sheet in the oven to melt the caramel, for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Immediately, sprinkle each round with the Fleur de Sel. If you want to shape the cookies, quickly, before the caramel sets, place the cookies on a rolling pin (for example) and let them cool and harden. If the cookies had set before you shaped them return the cookies in the oven for a moment.

Store the praline in a cool dry place, for 2 weeks.

It’s not recommended to make the brittle when the weather is very humid.