So… I imagine that most of us have had that one night where we really want something sweet to eat after dinner (and an effing fruit popsicle or whatever is not going to cut it) but don’t have anything readily available (usually on purpose). What do you do? Improvise with whatever you can find out of your pantry.
This was my night a few nights ago. What did I do? I threw butter, raw coconut sugar, white sugar, chopped hazelnuts, and shredded coconut in a skillet and cooked it until all of the sugar was melted and slightly bubbly. Next, I poured the mixture onto wax paper and put it in the freezer until it was firm. I would just like to point out that I had no idea what I was doing. I’ve never made a brittle or anything like it before. I completely guessed on the amounts of everything. I just kept adding things until it looked like there was enough of a melted mixture to harden up nicely. I just figured you can’t really go wrong with those ingredients as long as you don’t burn your sugar.
It turned out pretty damn good (very sweet of course). Some parts were more crunchy than others, the more shredded coconut, the chewier the final product is. I had a light bulb moment while I was waiting for my “desperate dessert” to set in the freezer. I realized I had some unsweetened Ghiradelli cocoa powder and that an unsweetened hot chocolate would pair perfectly with my mutant brittle thing-a-ma-bob. They were great together. If anyone remembers the last “desperate dessert” they made, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear about it.