- Neutral oil cooking spray such as vegetable or canola
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup Altissio Nespresso espresso
- 1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- Flakey salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
- Orange, for zesting
Food
The Bite:
Amore Amaro Altissio
Photography and Videography by Tara Sgroi
Food and Film. They are not so dissimilar are they? Storytelling. Risk taking. Creativity. Technical components. The coming together of various elements to tell a story and evoke an emotion. It has been incredible to be a juror for the U.S. Nespresso Talents program — I’ve had the opportunity to watch inspiring films from emerging filmmakers on how food has shaped their life in some way, just like it has mine.
Here I’ve made a Nespresso inspired almond nut brittle infused with bitter Amaro and bright orange. So many flavors and textures on the palette to add depth and complexity to my Affogato.
Espresso Almond Brittle
Athena CalderoneIngredients
Method
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the parchment with nonstick spray. Place the sugar, honey, corn syrup, and espresso in a medium saucepan. Measure the remaining ingredients into a bowl place next to the stove top along with an oiled, heat-proof spatula.
Heat the saucepan over medium heat. Swirl occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
Fit a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook the mixture over medium heat, until the caramel reaches 300°F, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the pistachios, butter, salt, and baking soda. Stir until just combined.
Pour the caramel mixture onto the parchment paper and spread with a spatula so the brittle is about ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and orange zest. Set aside and cool completely. Break the brittle into small, bite-sized pieces, and store at room temperature in an air-tight container, the layers separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking, until ready to serve. Stored this way, the brittle will keep for a few weeks.
