Peanut Brittle

One thing that I would say I cannot make is candy. My mom is an excellent candy maker and she makes dozens of different types of candies, including knock-offs of popular items like twix bars, altoid mints, etc. I tried to make peanut brittle a couple of years ago. It was nasty. The first batch tasted like baking soda, and the second batch I burned.
I guess I am not very persistent when it comes to food. If I make something twice and it doesn't turn out it usually ends up on the back burner (figuratively). I may return to it later, but I usually don't keep trying. I don't like wasting food and I don't like eating things that didn't turn out so that sort of puts me in an awkward spot.

So, recently, I had a change of heart and decided to try peanut brittle again. It turned out perfect. I made another batch. This too, was perfect. I made a third batch. I burned it. Ah, well....what can you do?

This peanut brittle recipe was from my mother, who, in turn, got it from her mother. I made a few alterations (doubled the salt, reduced the peanuts, and rewrote the recipe so I could better follow it) and voila-there you have it.
Also, you can use this recipe to make any single nut brittle, or combine leftover raw nuts you have on hand to create your own mixture. Feel free to sprinkle chocolate chips on the top after the brittle has cooled for just a minute or two, and spread them around. You can top with chopped nuts or dried fruits, coconut, etc. You get the idea.

Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups blanched raw peanuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Spray one large or two medium size baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large pot heat sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Add nuts and salt and continue to cook until mixture reaches 300 degrees (hard-crack stage). This will take about 15 minutes, so be patient and keep stirring to keep the peanuts from burning. (Once it begins to brown test it in a cup of ice water until it reaches the hard-crack stage). Remove from heat and add the butter, baking soda, and vanilla, vigorously whisking while adding. Be sure to thoroughly mix.

Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet(s). After it cools, lift off of pan and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Tightly stored brittle will keep for at least one month.

Note: for candy making, neither me nor my mom use a thermometer (gasp!) If you have a cup of ice water sitting next to the stove, and a small spoon to fish out the test results, you can have consistent results with candy. Simply drizzle a bit of the hot mixture into the ice water and fish it out as soon as it has cooled. Try it. Brittle is ready when it is brittle, or in the 'hard-crack' stage.

A favorite thing

I am excited to post another recipe from my mom....Twix candies! These are absolutely delicious and I know she gets requests for them all the time. If you enjoy candy making or do-it-yourself foods, this is definitely one to try.

My husband, Kevin, is a great fan of Twix candy bars, so when I originally found this recipe several years ago, I was excited to try it! I had never seen one of these ‘copy-cat’ books up until this time, and had no idea they even existed! What are the odds that the first one I pick up has a Twix recipe?! (Apparently pretty good!) Hooray!

I actually thought it might be harder than it sounded in the book, or maybe just wouldn’t turn out at all. But I thought, “Hey! Someone made it, somewhere. And if they can do it, so can I!” Needless to say, the recipe turned out, and I have been making it ever since!

Twix Candy

35 Caramels (I usually just buy a 14 oz bag of Kraft caramels, which have about 50)

¼ cup water

1 box Nabisco Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies

2-12oz bags Milk Chocolate Morsels (I use ½ semi-sweet morsels)

Step 1: Combine unwrapped caramels with water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until caramels have melted and the two ingredients are fully combined.

Step 2: Place cookies side-by-side on a parchment or waxed-paper lined cookie sheet.

Step 3: Drop a small dab of the melted caramel onto each cookie. If you have lots left over, go back and drop a second dab of caramel on each. Place tray in refrigerator for about 45 minutes, or until caramel has set up quite firm.

Step 4: Melt chocolate chips in microwavable bowl for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and smooth. DON’T cook for longer than 30 seconds at a time!

Step 5: Remove about 1/3 of the cookies at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator to stay cool. This makes it so much easier to coat with chocolate. If the caramel starts getting soft again, place cookies back in refrigerator for a few minutes.

Step 6: Working quickly, drop your first cookie caramel side down into the bowl of melted chocolate. Using a fork, flip the cookie over to coat other side. If any cookie is still exposed, use your fork to push some chocolate over the exposed areas. Obviously, any area not covered with chocolate now, won’t be covered later. I use two forks now, and once I have lifted the cookie up with my right fork, I gently tap that fork on the side of the bowl to help any dripping chocolate to fall back into the bowl, and I then go to place the cookie on the parchment or waxed-paper covered tray, using my left fork to help to slide it off, trying not to damage the chocolates’ surface too much.

This is not a professional approach to candy dipping, by any means. There are candy-dipping ‘forks’ and other useful utensils available at most craft stores. For technique, you may want to peruse some websites that have step-by-step photos or even a video. I use this method because the Internet was not around when I first started making candy! I gleaned what I could from every book, article and recipe and came up with this method, which works for me.

Step 7: Continue working until all cookies are coated with chocolate. If your caramel seems a bit soft, just place your tray back in the refrigerator, or only take a few out at a time. Again, remember to work quickly since your chocolate is easiest to work with when warm and will become harder and harder to work with as it cools down. If your chocolate does become too hard to work with, simply reheat at 30 second intervals. One or two 30-second zaps should be all that’s necessary.

Step 8: Let cool in refrigerator, or if you’re in a hurry, the freezer works great! Once your chocolate has set, remove from tray and place in an air-tight container. I like to place small pieces of waxed paper between each cookie. I then place them back in the refrigerator. I honestly don’t know how long they will keep in the refrigerator or the freezer since ours have never lasted more than two days. If you find out…let me know. Enjoy!

It Can Be Done

One of the reasons I wanted my mom to contribute to my blog is because of her candy-making. I think candy-making is a lost art. When I tell people my mom does it, they stare at me in disbelief. Now, I am not the greatest at candy-making....actually, I am not good at it at all. I know it's possible, because I have seen my mom do it, but it is definitely not my passion, and I need some work in this area.
You may have seen my button on my blog "I took the handmade pledge". If you are not familiar with this concept, it is expressing that I am striving to give, and hoping to receive, only handmade gifts. Of course that will not only work, but it encourages people to support small, local businesses and business owners, and I truly believe it places value on valuable things. Instead of feeling like we have to spend X amount of dollars on family and friends at Christmas, I want to find or make them unique gifts that are special to them.
This is one of those things that makes a great gift. I don't know about you but I love giving and receiving baked/handmade goods at Christmas. I know, sometimes it can be scary...especially if you don't know people, but I feel like it so much more personal and endearing.
Alright....all romanticism aside, here is my mom's recipe:

I enjoy baking and find that most of what I do bake is sweet! If I spend time in the kitchen I’m usually working on something that most people would consider a dessert or treat. When it comes to edible preparations, if I had to choose one thing that I’m passionate about, I would have to say ‘candy-making’.

I love making candy! I love trying new recipes and finding ways to copy-cat a favorite candy that seems impossible to re-create at home! If you follow me around long enough, you’re going to hear me say, “Someone made it, somewhere.” This is just my butchered attempt at explaining that this item doesn’t grow in a garden, or appear by magic....someone, somewhere… made it! I understand that most candy isn’t hand-made any more, but it was at one time. I guess I figure if they can do it, so can I! Usually the worst thing that happens is the item doesn’t look as good as I’d like…..but it always tastes great!

The following recipe is a new one for me, but definitely a keeper!

Peppermint Pattie

1 egg white

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

½ tsp. peppermint oil or extract

Cornstarch for dusting

1-12oz bag semisweet chocolate chips

1. In medium bowl, beat the egg white until frothy but not stiff. Don’t use a plastic bowl.

2. Slowly add the powdered sugar while blending with an electric mixer on medium speed.

3. Add corn syrup and peppermint oil or extract and knead the mixture with your hands until it has the smooth consistency of dough. Add more powdered sugar if necessary, until mixture is no longer sticky.

4. On a flat surface heavily sprinkled with cornstarch, roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness.

5. Using a cookie cutter or similar circular item measuring 2 ½” in diameter, punch out circles, laying them on a cookie sheet covered with waxed or parchment paper. Refrigerate approximately 45 minutes.

6. Melt chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time (2 minutes maximum) until stirred smooth.

7. Take only a few cold candy centers out of the refrigerator at a time. (You may need to work with two trays in order to switch off.)

8. Slide a dinner fork under the cold candy center and submerge the candy into the melted chocolate. (This takes about 1-2 seconds.) Remember to work quickly. The centers will immediately start to soften, then melt, within 3-4 seconds of being in the hot dipping chocolate. Lift out of chocolate, tapping fork 3 to 5 times on side of bowl with fork tines and candy still above the bowl. As you tap you are allowing the dripping chocolate to fall back into bowl.

9. Set your dipped candy on a waxed paper or parchment covered cookie sheet, angling the fork so that the candy slides off onto the paper. You may need to use another fork to ‘help’ slide the candy off, but keep in mind that the more it’s handled, the messier it will look once it has hardened.

10. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

11. Store in an air-tight container. I cut a sheet of waxed paper into squares and placed a square between each of the patties as I stacked them into the container. ENJOY!