Nougatine

Directions

1. 1
   Coat an 18-by-13-inch rimmed jelly-roll pan with vegetable oil.
2. 2
   Have a pastry brush ready, along with a cup of cold water.
3. 3
   Put the sugar, 1/4 cup water, the vanilla, and the corn syrup in a heavy medium-sized saucepan, and stir over low heat until the sugar melts.
4. 4
   Then raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar comes to a boil.
5. 5
   Dipping a pastry brush in cold water, quickly wash down the side of the pan to rinse away any sugar that is still crystallized.
6. 6
   Continue to boil, without stirring, but gently agitate the pan to distribute the heat.
7. 7
   When small puffs of smoke begin coming from the sugar, which should be a rich dark brown but not burned, remove the pan from the heat.
8. 8
   Quickly stir in the almonds and spread the nougatine on the jelly-roll pan.
9. 9
   Cool completely.
10. 10
    Break the nougatine into 4-inch pieces.
11. 11
    Loosely wrap several pieces together in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container.
12. 12
    When ready to use, leave the nougatine in the plastic wrap and hammer it into little pieces, being careful not to pulverize it.