ALMOND MENDIANTS
 

ALMOND MENDIANTS

An Original Recipe by Michael Recchiuti 
Category: Bonbons
Difficulty: Easy
 

INGREDIENTS

Calculated for 24 mendiants
 
Burnt Caramel Base
700g granulated cane sugar
240g water
 
Burnt Caramel Almond Batons
45g blanched almond batons
10g burnt caramel base
1 pinch of fleur de sel
 
Almond Inspiration Mendiants
600g Almond Inspiration
55g burnt caramel almond batons
Malden salt crystals(garnish)
 

INSTRUCTIONS

Burnt Caramel Base

  • Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar melts.
  • Then continue to cook, without stirring, until the sugar turns deep amber.
  • If any crystals start to form on the sides of the pan as the sugar darkens, wash them down with a wet pastry brush.
  • Just before the sugar turns black, the sugar syrup may foam up. If it does, reduce the heat to low and, wearing an oven mitt, carefully stir foam down.
  • When the sugar is ready, it will smoke, and large bubbles will break on the surface.
  • While the sugar is cooking, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. When the sugar is black, remove from heat and a fine-mesh sieve or splatter screen over pot with sugar. Wearing oven mitt, slowly pour the hot water into the sugar syrup a little at a time. The mixture will sputter, steam and foam. Be careful, as it is very hot.
  • Allow to cool, store at room temperature indefinitely. This syrup can be used for many baking applications.
 
Burnt Caramel Almonds Batons
  • Pre-heat oven to 527°F (275°C).
  • Toss slivered almonds in a bowl with burnt caramel base and salt. 
  • Place almonds on a sheet tray lined with parchment or nonstick surface in a pre-heated oven for 8 minutes.
  • After 8 minutes, remove almonds from the oven and carefully separate almonds, and then return to oven for an additional 7minutes.
  • Remove toasted almonds from the oven, allow to cool for 3-5 minutes, and then carefully separate almonds on a tray. Allow to cool completely.    

 

Almond Inspiration Mendiants

  • Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or Silpat mat, then set aside.
  • Melt and temper ALMOND INSPIRATION.
  • Fill a squirt bottle or pastry bag with a small opening with tempered almond inspiration.
  • Squirt or pipe 24 quarter-size disks evenly spaced onto a sheet pan.
  • Tap sheet pan onto a table to evenly spread disks of almond inspiration to 2-inch disks
  • Place slivered almonds over each disk and then garnish with Malden salt crystals.