Caramel Powder

This is praline powder — a dry caramel set with almonds, then crushed. It keeps well and gets used as a garnish on ices, custards and cakes rather than anything vegetable.

• Steel spiderA spider was a long-handled skillet, originally footed for hearth cooking; by 1920 the word simply meant a heavy frying pan. Use a heavy stainless or cast-iron skillet with a light interior so you can read the color of the sugar.
• Dry caramelNo water is added, so the sugar melts directly. Spread it in an even layer over medium heat, let the edges liquefy before stirring, and move it with a wooden spoon or by swirling the pan. Dry caramel goes from amber to burnt in well under a minute.
• Blanching the almondsHalf a pound is about 1 1/2 cups. Cover with boiling water for a minute, drain, and the skins slip off between finger and thumb. Dry them thoroughly on a towel — wet nuts will make the caramel seize and spit.
• "Brown to cream color"The phrase is ambiguous and may describe the sugar, the nuts, or the mixture as a whole. Take it as a mid-range color: cook until the caramel is a medium amber and the almonds have taken a pale golden-brown, and no darker.
• The marbleA greased marble slab draws heat out fast. A greased rimmed baking sheet or a sheet of parchment on a cool countertop works as well. Pour in a thin sheet — a thick slab is much harder to break up.
• PoundingSnap the cold sheet into shards and pulse in a food processor rather than running it continuously; the almond oil and residual sugar will turn to paste if overworked. Stop while it is still sandy.
• StorageCaramel powder is hygroscopic and will clump into a solid mass in a humid kitchen. Keep it in a sealed jar with a tight lid, and re-pulse if it cakes.
• YieldRoughly 2 1/2 to 3 cups of powder.
• HandlingMolten sugar is far hotter than boiling water and clings to skin. Keep a bowl of cold water at hand and do not taste anything until it is fully set.