Croccante di Mandorla
Elenka product code 197
Caramelised Sicilian almonds processed by hand into granules. It has two lives: sprinkled at service it is a decoration, and worked into a mix at 130 to 150 grams per litre it is a flavouring with the authentic taste of almond brittle.
Specification sheets are supplied to trade customers on request.
About Croccante di Mandorla
Almond brittle is one of the oldest confections in Sicily and one of the few that translates directly into gelato without being reinterpreted. This is it, in granule form.
What it is
Caramelised Sicilian almonds, processed by hand and reduced to granules. Elenka's catalogue lists it twice — under the Sicilian specialities among the cream pastes, and under granules with the decorative products — and that dual listing is accurate rather than an editorial oversight.
Two products in one pail
As a decoration, it is applied at service: over a scoop, around a semifreddo, across the top of a cake. Immediate, visible, and no planning required.
As a flavouring, it goes into the mix at 130 to 150 grams per litre and gives the gelato the caramelised-almond character of the brittle itself. That is a higher dosage than most pastes, for the same reason Mandorla Sicilia is dosed at 130: almond is a quiet flavour and caramel is a diffuse one, and the two together need volume to register.
Add it during creaming, at the end of the batch cycle. Put it in the mix before freezing and the caramel dissolves — you lose the texture, and the flavour that survives is a vague sweetness rather than brittle.
The caramel makes the crunch shorter-lived, not longer
Caramel is hygroscopic: it actively attracts water. So an almond brittle granule in a tub softens faster than a wafer or a cereal inclusion, not slower, and the crisp edge that justifies the product is gone within a few hours.
That is a scheduling fact rather than a fault. Use it on smaller tubs with quick turnover, or use it at service where the granule goes from pail to customer in seconds and arrives at its best. Sites that want almond texture in a tub that has to sit are better served by a crunch built for the job.
Why it is filed here
Almond as a flavour is already covered by the almond pastes. What this product uniquely provides is texture, and a buyer looking for almond crunch will look under crunches. Its catalogue home in the paste section is recorded and real; its canonical address on this site follows the thing that makes it different.
What we do not publish
Ingredients, allergens, shelf life and storage conditions are absent from this page because no Elenka specification sheet is held for the Australian range. Absent means the data is not held, never that the answer is no. Almond is a declarable tree nut in Australia and the obligation falls on the business serving the customer — request the sheet.
Technical specifications
| Recommended dosage | 130–150 g per litre of mix — When used as a flavouring. As a decoration it is applied at service. |
|---|---|
| Format | 2 kg pail, 4 per carton |
| Applications | decoration, gelato flavouring, cake and semifreddo finishing |
| Elenka product code | 197 |
Full specification on request
The ingredient list, allergen declaration, shelf life and storage conditions for Croccante di Mandorla are provided on the Elenka specification sheet. We supply it on request — please do not rely on the product name when answering a customer allergen enquiry.
Related products
Mandorla Sicilia
A Sicilian almond paste dosed at 130 grams per litre of mix — high, because almond is a quiet flavour that needs volume to register. Beyond gelato it is the base for granita di mandorla and for almond milk, which is how it is actually used in Sicily.
Code 2613 kgTorrone
A paste that reproduces Italian nougat — toasted nuts, honey and caramelised sugar — at 100 grams per litre of mix. It is the flavour that sells hardest in the second half of the year, and the one most Australian cabinets do not carry.
Code 4534 kgCassata Siciliana
A compound paste that reproduces the Sicilian cake rather than a single flavour, built on freeze-dried ricotta and candied fruit. The 250 gram dosage is high because most of what is in the pail is the cake's own components, not a concentrated flavouring.
Code 737N5 kgCopertura Bianca 9510
A white coating built on cocoa butter, giving the flavour and the pale colour of white chocolate. It is the covering that does the most visual work, because white over a dark gelato is the only combination in this category that reads from across a room.
Code 4752.5 kg
Frequently asked questions
Is this a decoration or a flavouring?
Both, and the catalogue lists it in both places. Sprinkled at service it decorates; worked into a mix at 130 to 150 grams per litre it flavours, giving the caramelised almond character of Sicilian brittle.
When do I add it if I am using it as a flavouring?
During creaming, at the end of the batch cycle, so the granules stay whole. Adding it to the mix before freezing dissolves the caramel and you lose both the texture and most of the point.
How long does the crunch survive in a tub?
Hours. Caramel is hygroscopic, so the granules take up moisture from the gelato and soften — faster than a wafer or cereal inclusion, not slower. Use it on smaller tubs with quick turnover, or apply it at service.
Why is it filed under crunches rather than pastes?
Because the granule form is what distinguishes it. Almond as a flavour is already served by the almond pastes; what this product uniquely gives is texture, and that is where a buyer will look for it.