Maple Almond Candy (vegan)

I don't make sweets very often. It's not really my thing.

So when I do, I tend to go for the more simple delights.

A pâtissier I ain’t.

This recipe is the easiest fucking thing in the world.

You will, however, need one specialized piece of equipment, viz. a candy thermometer. Can you make candy without a thermometer?
Maybe, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Another specialized piece of equipment that would come in handy is a Silpat, or other silicone sheet. Silpats are pretty handy for making sticky business; they are super heat resistant and sticky shit doesn’t stick to ‘em. If you don’t have one, and don’t feel like dishing out the cash, parchment paper is an okay substitute – a Silpat is way better though.

You’re also gonna need some maple syrup; a whole bottle in fact – 500ml. And, you’ll need ½ cup of chopped, toasted almonds. You’ll also need 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda and you’re set.

Yup, that’s it.

Oh, and patience. You have to pay attention to this shit or it can get away from you.

Pour your syrup into a large, heavy-bottomed pot – preferably a tall-sided one. This shit bubbles up something fierce, and you do not want hot syrup going everywhere – that would really suck.

Bring the syrup to a boil on medium high heat and pay attention to that thermometer of yours. Do not stir.

When the thermometer hits 235F carefully remove your bubbling pot of awesome from the heat and let it cool. Do not stir.

When it reaches 175F, after about 10 minutes or so, add the baking soda and stir when it turns to a more buttery looking, light brown stir in your almonds.

You’ll need to move a bit quickly at this point as it really starts to cool quite quickly. Pour the whole mess out onto your Silpat, which you should have secured within the confines of a baking sheet. Spread it out and let it cool. After it’s cool, stick it in the fridge to let it harden. Do not put it in the fridge hot - it fucks up the flavour. It won’t take long to cool in the fridge – maybe 10 minutes.

You can bust it into chunks or slice it uniformly. Hell, you can leave it whole; I don’t give a fuck, it’s your candy.

Eat it.

The one on the left is a result of overstirring,
and not getting the mix out of the pot soon enough.
It was still delicious, but the one above is how it looks
when you get it out of the pot on time.
A much slicker result.

I added cocoa nibs to one half of this batch just to try it out.
'Twas crunchy bitter yumminess.