Walnut brittle

Candied walnuts or walnut brittles are easy to prepare and they are great as an additive to salads (think about Gorgonsola, mixed greens and candied walnuts salad, which will appear soon here), as an ingredient of a cake or just so - to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw walnuts halves
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp warm water
• 1 Tbsp butter (optional)

Preparation: 

Put walnuts on a baking tray, put in the oven and turn heat to 400˚F (200˚C). Roast for about 10-15 minutes until walnuts get golden and their nutty aroma fills the kitchen. Take walnuts from the baking tray and let cool for some minutes.

Melt sugar and water in a saucepan over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. Sugar will dissolve and after a while it will start getting light golden amber. Add butter and walnuts, stir to coat well and to incorporate evenly and  pour mixture immediately onto a greased baking paper. Spread as thin as possible. Let cool for 15 minutes and break brittle pieces with a knife.

If you like, you can dip the walnut brittles into a cup of molten chocolate and they'll become a perfect dessert on their own. 

Store at room temperature.