This week I have an Iranian candy known as sohan. It’s a lot like a brittle but has some additions not used in the brittles we make. It’s an old recipe from back when Iran was called Persia!
You will need!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp + ½ tsp unbleached all-purpose flour
- • 1 tsp whole wheat flour (best if wheat sprout flour)
- • 100 gr = ½ cup granulated sugar
- • 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp water
- • 1 tsp rosewater
- • 70 gr = 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
- • 1½ Tbsp honey
- • 1½ Tbsp clear corn syrup
- • ¼ tsp ground/powdered cardamom
- • 1/8 tsp ground/powdered saffron (dry, not dissolved)
- • 50 gr shelled, raw or roasted, unsalted pistachio-nuts
Equipment needed
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Bowls
- Candy Thermometer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Non Stick spray
- Pot
- Large empty bottle
- Plastic baggy
Instructions
- Put the pistachio-nuts in a sandwich bag and using an even, cylindrical bottle, crush the nuts into large bits, as seen in the photo. This bottle is needed again later.
- Line with parchment-paper, a baking sheet at least 27cm x 41cm (10½”x16″) in size.
- Have all your ingredients measured and placed in the order of use. Flours may be mixed together. Water and rosewater may be mixed together. Honey and corn syrup may be mixed together. Note: From this point on, no matter what ingredient is added, do not stop vigorously stirring.
- Put a medium-sized, non-stick saucepan on the stove and heat on medium-high until hot. To take away the raw smell/taste from the flours, add flour mix and stir briefly with a long-handled-wooden-spoon . Leave the heat on, but remove the saucepan from heat, add sugar and mix well.
- Still off the heat, add rosewater/water, stir to mix well. Place the saucepan back on the heat, continuously stirring, bring to a boil/until foams-up. Add butter and stir vigorously until completely melted. Briefly remove from the heat, add honey/corn syrup mix, cardamom, stir a little and add saffron. The saffron will turn things yellow. Including your fingers if you are not careful.
- Put back on the heat, stir vigorously for about 6 minutes. The mix will start to get thicker-and-thicker and start separating from the pot like a flowing dough. Once it is completely separated and quite thick, it is done.
- Pour the mix onto the lined baking sheet in one big piece or five small, round ones (with even amount of space in-between). Wait a few seconds for it/them to spread a little. Generously sprinkle on crushed pistachios and using the cylindrical bottle (not a pin, because it is easier to wash if any pieces stick to it), roll from center to the edges, to flatten the pistachios together with the brittle into one big about 20cm/8″ diameter or five small 11cm/4½ ” rounds.
- Set aside for 30 minutes or until cooled and hardened. Break the big one into pieces or wrap small rounds as gifts. Store up to 1 week, in an airtight container, in single layers, separated by parchment-paper. The texture gets better the following days.
