Christmakah: A Brittle Holiday

I’m up to my eyeballs in Chocolate Covered Cashew Brittle. I kid you not. I decided that it would be my signature holiday dessert this year because:

1) It’s super-easy.
2) It’s impressive and no one seems to make it anymore.
3) People like to eat it.

This brittle became my holiday party bring-along, my new client gift, and the holiday gift of several friends this year (who asked me to make it for them so that they could give it). My kitchen has turned into a regular production facility. Look, I’m not complaining, I’m just bellyaching, literally, because I can’t keep my paws off the brittle. It’s tasty.

On the flip side of Holiday ’05, I cancelled all Chanukah gifting with my immediate family. Maybe it was because I started hearing Bing Crosby in Starbucks on November 17th; maybe it’s because my clan is distributed along the East Coast and we won’t be celebrating together on a specific day; maybe it’s because I was raised Jewish but had my own hand-knit Christmas stocking and I’m just getting confused.

But most likely it’s because I’m alone for the holidays this year. Again. You see, my little brother is married in Baltimore, my parents are happily retired in North Carolina. Everyone has grown up, moved on, and are now creating new families of their own. I have a dog and a brittle production facility in a Brooklyn apartment that’s way beyond my budget. Any natural mid-thirties female nesting vibe I’ve got is being channeled into starting a business. A brittle woman, indeed.

My brother, called this year to find out what we were doing for our gift exchange. I told him that he and his wife should spend $50 on gifts for themselves, and I’d do the same. Then we could call in a few weeks and tell each other what we got. No muss, no fuss.

I could hear his eyes roll from 400 miles away. You see, he’s a great guy. The guy who played football and joined a fraternity. A financial advisor who runs his local golf tournament. He’ll help you move if you need a hand, and is likely to shovel your walk for you if you just ask.

I’m different. I take pride in doing my own things, my own way. I think I confuse my brother, who likes me, but isn’t quite sure what to make of me.

“Listen sis, that’s a little weird, and not in the spirit of things, but if it’s what you want, then fine.”

And then, a few days later:
“Hey, sis. It’s your brother. And I’ve decided I don’t like your approach to the Holidays.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I want to give you a present.”
“Oh, because our capitalist society tells you to? Because Hallmark has made it a requirement? Because it’s your civic duty to spend and spend, on credit, and go into debt?” At this point, I can only hope he took his ear from the phone. “Because, brother, I’m not buying into that mishigas! I’m not down with unnecessary expenditures this year, and your holiday knick-knack falls straight into that category. Oh, and in case you’ve forgotten, our Holiday is not a generic Holiday, it’s Chanukah. Chhhhhhhhhanukah.”

Another loud eye roll. “No, Allison, it’s not because I’m a capitalist whatever, but because you’re my sister. My only sister. I want to do what everybody does this time of year, because I want to remind you that I care about you and love you, and that you’re the only sister I’ll ever have. I want to let you know how important you are to me, especially because we’re apart and I know that you’re not near your family right now. I want to give you a present.”

There’s no amount of anti-consumerist propoganda that can harden my heart to those words from my little brother. They melted me. My coming down so hard, my bah-humbugging on everyone else’s capital-H Holiday was less about my anti-capitalist tendencies, and, truth be told, more about my fear of being left out and forgotten.

So maybe next year my brother will get me a gift certificate to Banana, or Ann Taylor, or Sephora, and maybe he’ll get a boxful of brittle. But he’ll have a hard time topping his gift from this year. Thanks, Bro. Happy Choliday and Merry Christmakah.



Chocolate Covered Cashew Brittle
By The Wooden Spoon

3 ¾ cups sugar, divided
1 16-ounce bottle light corn syrup, divided
1 ¾ cups water, divided
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
5 cups roasted, salted cashews, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1 ¾ teaspoons baking soda, divided
2 11.5-ounce bags chocolate chips
Vegetable spray or silpat mats

1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and cover it with non-stick spray, or line it with a silpat. You will be creating two brittles; one that will become candy dust coating the outside of the official brittle, and one that is the official brittle. So pull out two pots, one small (2 quarts) and one medium) 5 quarts or so. Put the following ingredients in each pot:

SMALL POT
¾ cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

BIG POT
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups corn syrup
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

2. Cover both pots, and turn up the burner under the small pot. When it comes to a rolling boil (4 minutes), remove the lid. Meanwhile, combine the following ingredients in two separate bowls:

SMALL BOWL
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup cashews

BIG BOWL
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
3 cups cashews

3. Watch carefully until the caramel begins to color. Let it go, swirling the pan to distribute the color, until it becomes an attractive shade of light brown (just past the blonde color). Stir in the ingredients from the small bowl, and pour them onto the prepared pan. When the caramel begins to harden, place it (and the liner, not the sheet pan) into the refrigerator or freezer to hasten the hardening process.

4. Turn the burner under the large pot to medium heat. Follow directions as above (#2) to engage in the same process, realizing that with a larger volume of liquid, it will take longer to color. Cover the sheet pan with another piece of parchment and non-stick spray or another silpat. When the caramel has reached an attractive color, pour in the ingredients from the big bowl.

5. Meanwhile, take the hardened caramel from the small batch, and whiz it in the food processor until it becomes a dust. Chop the remaining 1 cup of cashews by hand, and combine the dust and the cashews in a bowl. Melt one bag of chocolate in the microwave, or by using a double boiler.

6. Pour the big-batch brittle onto the prepared pan, and smooth it out using a spatula, creating an even layer. When it begins to harden, layer the chocolate on top of the brittle. Sprinkle half the cashew dust over the top, covering the chocolate. Place entire sheet pan in the refrigerator to cool.

7. Melt remaining bag of chocolate. When the brittle in the refrigerator has hardened, turn brittle out onto another pan or other large surface that can be transferred to the refrigerator. Pour the melted chocolate onto the brittle, and cover with remaining cashew dust. Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened. Using the tip of a knife, break brittle into large pieces and serve on a platter (or package in a non-airtight container as a gift). Keep cool.