This sweet, crunchy brittle is a favorite holiday treat among everyone in my family—and is wildly popular with our friends! The recipe comes from Austin’s mom, Debbie. She shared it with me years ago, and it introduced me to the technique for making sugar-based candies. This process can seem intimidating if you’ve never done it, but it’s actually super simple: All you need is a candy thermometer that attaches to the side of the pot and sticks down into the cooking liquid (without touching the bottom of the pot). Then you simply watch the thermometer until the mixture reaches the right temperature, pour it onto a prepared pan, and let it cool. Last, you spread on some melted chocolate and add handfuls of crushed almonds.

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