Brittle

[Ted Calver]

It's that time of year. I have been cranking out homemade nut brittle for family and the neighborhood gift exchange for many years. The basic recipe came from an old Gourmet magazine back in the 80's and the result is a nice crunchy product that won't break your teeth. This is not for those on a low carb diet.
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Ingredients and a fresh very hot pour on the buttered baking pan just before shaking to spread the mixture out. The baking soda makes little carbon dioxide bubbles in the mix that make it not so brittle and easier on the teeth.
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Honey pecan cooling off in the freezer on a piece of insulation to protect the frozen food underneath. Out of the freezer and cracked...ready to bag up.
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5 pounds of honey pecan and three pounds of pistachio. That enough for today. More tomorrow. I need about 15 pounds.

 

[Paul Douglass]

My wife use to make that. Hummm Hummmm good!

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Oooh the honey pecan sounds amazing and pistachio anything is always good. Big step up from your regular peanut!

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

That looks great, Ted! I'll definitely be trying some.

 

[Brent Dowell]

I will def try some pistachio, I've got all the ingredients on hand! (I might add a little habanero powder to it though)

 

[Ted Calver]

I thought about shaking some chipotle powder in a batch. Sounds like it might be good. Be careful with this stuff. Handle like molten lava. Did 5 lbs of honey mixed nut and 3 more lbs of honey cashew today. Honey's all gone, so I'll try some maple pecan using maple extract and then some sliced almond using almond extract. Tomorrow I'll be done and start delivering.

 

[Brent Dowell]

A few years ago I made several batches of brittle the old fashioned way on the stove. I added the hot pepper to some batches, in moderate amounts. It added a nice little zing that you really couldn't identify.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

A few years ago I made several batches of brittle the old fashioned way on the stove. I added the hot pepper to some batches, in moderate amounts. It added a nice little zing that you really couldn't identify.

Peanut brittle with green or red chile is a pretty popular item around here.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

I just whipped up a batch of this brittle. Used the suggested cook times and followed the recipe closely, except I used roasted and blanched salted peanuts. At the moment it's chilling out on the patio table outside in 37º temps. Looks and smells good so far. I'm looking forward to a taste test in a little while.

 

[Ted Calver]

Half an hour cooling off, then just put some flex in the cookie sheet and it should crack. I push up from the bottom in the center. Hope it came out tasty

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Very tasty indeed! I like the lighter foamy chewiness as opposed to the typical "hard candy" brittle.

 

[Mike Stafford]

I love that kind peanut brittle. One of my wife's bridge friends gives us a big metal tin full of it every year at Christmas. She makes it with Jumbo XL Virginia peanuts and that in itself makes the brittle a real treat. I have a real weakness for peanut brittle.

As long as we are discussing nuts and nut recipes here is an easy recipe for savory pecans that we like.

Sweet, Spicy & Salty Candied Pecans
Servings: Makes 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Confectioner’s sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups pecans
4 teaspoons water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Confectioner’s sugar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and 4 teaspoons of water. Mix well!
3. Add the pecans to the sugar mixture and stir until the nuts are evenly coated. (I like to use a tablespoon and fold them over and over to coat them well.)
4. Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Do your best to make sure the nuts are evenly spread out (if they are clumped together, they won't cook evenly). Scrape out every last bit of glaze from the bowl and drizzle over the nuts. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the pecans are crusty on top and caramelized and golden on the bottom. Immediately slide the parchment off of the hot baking sheet and allow the pecans to cool completely on the countertop. Once cool, remove the pecans from the parchment, breaking apart any clusters if necessary, and store in an airtight container.
5. Note: Make sure you're using parchment paper and not wax paper (wax paper is not nonstick). If the nuts are sticky after cooling, that means they are a bit undercooked. Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes and let cool again.

 

[Ted Calver]

Next on the agenda and another Christmas time goodie: Mom's Super Loaded Cereal mix. A sure way to torture someone on a low carb/calorie restricted diet.
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