Almond brittle

Roasted almond spread in a jar, like from the Hamburg Dom fair

Brandgut Mandelikat is a crunchy, vegan almond spread made from about 45% roasted almonds with a hint of sea salt – handmade in a copper kettle in Hamburg-Ottensen. The first variety from the small manufacturer of Meike Grosch and Daniel Thaung, created from a bag of fairground almonds at the Hamburg Dom.

The almond spread Mandelikat from Brandgut is a crunchy spread made from roasted almonds, in a 160g jar from Hamburg. With about 45% almonds, some sugar, vanilla sugar, a little sunflower oil and fine sea salt, only 5 ingredients go into the jar – no palm fat, no emulsifiers, no industrial flavorings. The name Mandelikat is a play on words from Mandel (almond) and delikat (delicate), and it describes the warm, fairground-sweet tone of this spread quite accurately.

Warm fairground scent, mildly sweet and with a fine crunch

Opening the jar reveals a scent you know from November – warm, sugary, with the bright roasted note of a freshly roasted almond. A scent that immediately brings to mind fairgrounds, Christmas markets, and a bag in your cold hand. The almond spread itself has a light, creamy color, a little warmer than marzipan. A little oil may settle on top – this is part of Brandgut's concept, as no emulsifiers artificially hold the cream together. Just stir it vigorously with a spoon, and it's ready.

On the tongue, Mandelikat begins with a delicate, vanilla-like sweetness, then comes the mild, marzipan-like almond body, and finally, the fine sea salt ensures that nothing remains cloyingly sweet – warm, mild, and subtly salted. The crunch collects at the bottom: small caramelized almond pieces that give the spread its bite. The rule of thumb: stir the jar well before each use so that liquid, crunch, and oil remain evenly distributed.

Best served with warm waffles and a scoop of vanilla ice cream

The almond spread is the Brandgut variety that tastes the warmest and most classic – the mild almond is more versatile than its toastier siblings made from hazelnut or pecan. We especially love it spread on thick sourdough bread, with a wafer-thin layer of butter underneath, which makes the taste deeper and creamier. It's also wonderful on a freshly baked baguette in the morning sun.

We also love it stirred into porridge, a spoon in a warm bowl of oatmeal, a few apple slices added, and the autumn breakfast is ready. With vanilla ice cream, Mandelikat is a small indulgence: a dollop on three scoops, a few almond slivers on top, and suddenly it's a fairground in July. It also goes splendidly with warm waffles, crêpes, and on a piece of butter cake. For those who cook robustly, try a spoonful in a marinade for red cabbage or parsnip – almond and winter vegetables belong together.

Our tip: stir a spoonful of Mandelikat into hot almond milk and enjoy a homemade almond cappuccino. If you like more Brandgut ideas, you'll find them in the crunchy Peacetazie, the roasted Haselgenuss, and the sweet and salty YES, Pe Can.

A stroll through the Hamburg Dom fair and the idea was born

Behind Brandgut are Meike Grosch and Daniel Thaung from Hamburg. The two worked together for almost 10 years in a Hamburg advertising agency before taking the plunge in 2014 and founding their own creative kitchen. The brilliant idea, as Meike still tells it today, came during a stroll through the Hamburg Dom – the largest fair in the north. With a bag of warm, roasted almonds in hand, the thought arose: Why not bring this fairground taste into a jar?

From this question came Mandelikat – the first variety with which the two developed the artisanal production in a copper kettle. The almonds are caramelized with sugar, vanilla sugar, and sea salt in a copper kettle, finely ground, and processed into a crunchy spread. All vegan, without additives, without palm oil, handmade in Hamburg-Ottensen. After Mandelikat, other Brandgut varieties were added: Haselgenuss, Peacetazie, Cashjuhu, Erdnussmuss, and YES, Pe Can. You can find all of them in our Brandgut collection. Meike and Daniel wish you "brandguten Appetit" (a delicious meal).