Here’s a great recipe for peanut brittle. I found this in a book some years ago, but have no recollection of its name. I finally got around to making this, and it’s well worth the minimal effort that it takes.
Now, peanut brittle isn’t particularly novel or sophisticated, but if you’re going to make a pedestrian dish, might as well go all-out and make it as good as possible. This recipe will let you do just that.
As you can see in the photos, I went a little light on the sea salt, without detriment to the taste. But I’m sure the full amount called for will not be too salty.
What you’ll need:
- 1T canola oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 0.25 cups water
- 0.25t cream of tartar
- 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts (other nuts would work, too)
- 1.25t good quality fine-grained sea salt
What to do:
Oil the BACK of a baking sheet with a paper towel.
Combine the sugar, water and cream of tartar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat without stirring.
Sweep a wet pastry brush around the point where the sugar syrup meets the sides of the pan. As the mixture cooks, do this one more time to keep the sugar from crystalizing against the pan. Let the mixture cure about 8-10 minutes, until it begins to turn amber in color.
For this next step, be prepared to move quickly. Turn off the heat, and with a heat-resistant spatula, stir in the peanuts, getting them completely coated with the caramel. Then, quickly pour them onto the oiled back of the baking sheet and spread it to more or less a single layer. Now sprinkle the sea salt over the brittle while it’s still hot.
Let it cool to room temperature, or at least 30 minutes. Now gently pry it from the baking sheet and break it into whatever size pieces works for you.
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