Almond and Craisin Carmel Topping  

I never told you that I was a healthy cook, as I believe one should eat in moderation just about anything. Therefore, a good dessert or sweet from time to time is a needed pleasure in life.
A thought of making a brittle, a very delicate and thin caramel candy that breaks easily to the touch, came to mind so I could use some of the huge bag of almonds I bought at the wholesale club.
Almonds being one of the most healthy of the nuts made me think well this candy can't be all that bad. Almonds; low in saturated fat, good for the heart, strong for the bones and full of vitamin E. I tried to brain wash myself into thinking these nuts were going to make a great healthy snack! It wasn't the nuts that ruined that thought but certainly it was the sugar! Oh well ...let's make brittle.
Mistakes happen, even to the best of the Dump Cooks.

This became the Brittle that just did not make Brittle : This is actually, I am not afraid to say, one invention that did not turn out to be the nut bar I was intending.  My mistake was clear, as I did not allow the caramel to cook long enough to the crack stage  (310 degrees) and instead got a sugary sauce rather than a brittle.

So now I poured it all out to cool and realized it is much too soft to harden to a brittle stage. Yikes!  What can we do?  I let it cool and harden, as best it would, and then scooped it up into containers. It is gooey and sticky so be prepared to wash your scooper and hands in very warm water to clean.

4 cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups almonds 
1 cup craisins
¼ teaspoon cream of tarter

In a large heavy bottom sauce pan (sauce will bubble up high due to the cream of tarter) add water and brown sugar. Bring to boil and add cream of tarter. Stir and lower so it keeps a low boil. Keep on the heat for 6 minutes.  The sauce will begin to thicken.

 (if you leave it to go to Hard crack stage candy – 300 degree on the thermometer - when it cools it will be a brittle candy…what I was trying to do!)

Spread a silk pat on a cookie sheet then the nut and craisin mixture.  Let it cool fully.  Scoop the nut mixture into containers. This still tastes wonder and we need to use it…..hmmmmmmmm
                                            I  JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING: TRY THIS...

HOMEMADE GRANOLA (REINVENT ABOVE)

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup Go Lean crunch cereal
2 cups oats
1 cup almond sugar mix from above
½ cup chopped dates

Toast all but dates at 300 degrees 15 mins and bring and out and cool.  Add chopped dates and store in air tight container

IDEAS:

Top some plain or vanilla yogurt and add some grain cereal for a breakfast bowl or afternoon treat.
Use as topping on vanilla ice cream.
Top brownies. Place inside brownies before you cook them.

Make a parfait with 1) pudding, nut mix fruit, whip cream    2) ice cream, nuts and fruit, whipped cream

Top a cheesecake

Take store bought sugar cookie dough and place inside a ball a little nut mix and bake.

If warmed a bit it will revert to be more syrupy and hot

PS: use just a little as it is very sweet!

Well better yet, maybe it is best I stay to the 'a handful of almonds', plain and simple and get the all the health benefits!?! 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!