Almond and hazelnut brittle

Christmas without brittle is not Christmas!

100 g almonds with their skins
100 g hazelnuts with their skins
250 g granulated sugar, or 200 g if you prefer less caramel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 fingers’ depth of water

Take a small non-stick or stainless steel saucepan with a thick base.
Add the sugar, lemon juice and water.
Start melting it without stirring: instead, move and swirl the saucepan.
Otherwise, it will crystallise and stick to the spoon.

After a while, you will see the sugar gradually begin to turn golden.

Only then add the almonds and hazelnuts and start stirring with a wooden spoon.

Let it boil for a few minutes, watching the colour of the caramel. It must not become too dark: keep it amber, or it will taste bitter. You will begin to smell the characteristic caramel aroma and the nuts will start to sizzle.

Have a chopping board covered with baking parchment, or a marble slab, ready. Grease it lightly with oil and have a spatula and rolling pin to hand.

Very carefully — caramel is unforgiving — pour everything onto the board.
Wait a few minutes.

Then patiently use the spatula to flatten it and bring the caramel close around the nuts, trying to form a rectangle.
You may be tempted to use your hands: do not, as the caramel will burn you.
Cover with baking parchment and roll with the rolling pin to level it.

The rectangle is formed. For a few minutes, you can still work it to even it up.

Before it hardens completely, take a straight-edged knife, lightly oil it and cut pieces to the size you want.
Once cold, it is easy to break with your hands.

You can also make it with walnuts, pistachios or pine nuts, and use skinless nuts if you prefer a lighter caramel. Keep it in a glass jar — if you can resist eating it!