Happy Holidays!
This year the holidays will be different for all of us as we balance staying healthy and distanced with the pull to gather with friends and family. I faced this challenge during Thanksgiving, the only holiday my Afghan family celebrates when I so wanted to go to Los Angeles to be with my mom who is now 86. After much contemplation, we decided to stay home and had a quiet meal with my husband, son and daughter. I have to admit it was both sad and joyous--sad that I missed one of the last few Thanksgivings left with my mom but also heartwarming as the four of us had a splendid time planning a non-traditional meal of salmon, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts and homemade pumpkin pie my kids made.
I think this year more than any, we’re thinking of ways to be more grounded and thoughtful about the choices we make in what we read, what we eat, and how we show up in the world. Whether you celebrate Eid, Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah or other holidays, in this video I wanted to share my Khaste e Shereen recipe, so you can surprise your family, friends, and colleagues with this unexpected sweet gift of Afghan almond cardamom brittle, instead of the predictable box of cookies or chocolate. The biggest challenge with this recipe is to get it into the gift bag or jar before you gobble it all up. The crunchy sweet Afghan combo is highly addictive.
This is not your mother’s almond brittle. It features the subtle yet distinct flavor of green cardamom but if you want to modernize the traditional Afghan recipe you can add cocoa nibs, cayenne pepper, or a pinch of fleur de sel salt to this versatile brittle. This recipe could be doubled but melting large amounts of sugar can be tricky. I suggest that you try the recipe as is for the first time few times before experimenting with it.
This khaste shereen has coco nibs which I find to be super delicious.
If you love to gift food, I highly recommend you check out my Sheer Payra, Afghan rosewater fudge recipe. It’s easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. Next week I’ll share my Kulche Bririnji, rice flour pistachio butter cookie, video demo. This is a light and flakey cookie would make the perfect gift for your gluten-free friends. Have a great time playing with this recipe and don’t forget to let me know how you’re gifting this holiday season.
Khasta e Shereen
Almond Cardamom Brittle
1 ½ cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
1 lb. unsalted roasted almonds*
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the roasted almonds in a single layer on the baking sheet, grouping them all together with no spaces between the nuts.
Heat the sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly. The sugar will eventually turn to liquid. Please note if the sugar clumps, don’t lose hope, it will melt, just break the clumps apart and keep stirring.
Continue to cook, stirring all the while, until the sugar is golden brown. Add the cardamom and cook a little longer until it reaches a deep amber color and smooth liquidy texture. The whole process of caramelizing the sugar will take between 8-11 minutes. I have not found a rhyme or reason for the difference in time, it could be the thickness of your pan or the flame from your burner.
Drizzle the sugar in a thin stream evenly over the top of the almonds, covering them all. Cool completely. Break up the almonds with your fingers into two-bite pieces. Store in a jar with a tight lid or package for gifts.
*If you buy raw almonds, toast them in a 325-degree oven for 10 minutes before doing the recipe
Options:
You can use a number of ingredients to lend different flavors to your nuts. In place of cardamom (the traditional Afghan flavor) try the following:
Stir 1/3 cup cocoa nibs into the melted sugar
Add ½ teaspoon ground cayenne or ground black pepper to the melted sugar in place of the cardamom
Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel over the top of the caramelized sugar after you’ve poured it on the almonds. The salt will be delicious with or without the cardamom.