Paula Deen Peanut Brittle Recipes

PECAN BRITTLE

Steps:

• In a nonstick saucepan, heat and stir sugar, corn syrup, water and salt over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Over high heat, using a candy thermometer, cook sugar mixture to a hard crack stage (290 °F).
• Add pecans and butter and cook to 300 °F stirring all the time to keep the nuts from burning. Pull off heat at 300 °F and stir in baking soda while beating to froth for 30 seconds.
• Pour at once on to 4 well buttered 15 1/2 by 10 by 1-inch pans. Spread with a spatula as thin as possible. As the brittle cools you may use gloves to hand stretch the brittle which will give it a better eating quality.
• This brittle has a great shelf life, if kept in airtight zip locks or containers; it will keep for 2 months.
• Paula's Gift Packaging Tip: I love to junk for little pots and pans. I found this copper one at a store here in Savannah for FIVE dollars! I thought it would be the perfect way to gift my Pecan Brittle. I lined the saucepan with natural parchment paper piled it high with pecan brittle and tied a satin ribbon on the handle. Don't forget to add the recipe!

NUTTY BRITTLE FROM SAVANNAH'S CANDY MAN

Steps:

• In a nonstick saucepan, heat and stir sugar, corn syrup, water and salt over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Over high heat, using a candy thermometer, cook sugar mixture to a hard crack stage (290 °F).
• Add nuts and butter and cook to 300 °F stirring all the time to keep the nuts from burning. Pull off heat at 300 °F and stir in baking soda while beating to froth for 30 seconds.
• Pour at once on to 4 well buttered 15 1/2 by 10 by 1-inch pans. Spread with a spatula as thin as possible. As the brittle cools you may use gloves to hand stretch the brittle which will give it a better eating quality.
• This brittle has a great shelf life, if kept in airtight zip locks or containers, it will keep for 2 months.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Generously spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a large saucepan, bring sugar and next 3 ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking. When mixture reaches 250° on a candy thermometer, stir in peanuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 300°. Immediately remove from heat, and stir in butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Pour onto prepared pan, and spread to an even thickness. Let cool completely before breaking into pieces. Store in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Optional chocolate decoration:
• Split vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape seeds into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, along with scraped out pods. Place remaining ingredients in saucepan and place over high heat. Cook to a caramel color while continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. The mixture will become very thick. Pull out the vanilla beans and set aside. Lightly spray the work surface with vegetable cooking spray. If you would like to use metal rulers so the brittle will be rolled to an even thickness, set them into place now. Immediately pour the mixture onto the marble or granite slab (you can also use a parchment paper lined baking sheet). Place a piece of parchment paper over the hot brittle and use a rolling pin to roll the peanut brittle into a 3/8-inch thick flat layer. Use a sharp chef's knife to partially cut the brittle while it is still warm. Allow it to cool completely before coating it with chocolate. It is ready to eat now or you can add chocolate to the outside of the brittle.
• To cover with chocolate: You can use a variety of methods to apply chocolate to the brittle. You could simply place some chocolate into a cornet and drizzle the chocolate over the cool brittle. You could also use a dipping fork to dip each piece of brittle in the chocolate. Whatever method you use, allow the chocolate to set and it is ready to serve.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres
• The Cornet: A cornet is a small piping bag made from parchment paper. It is usually used to make fine decorations.
• Cut an 8 by 12 by 14 1/2-inch triangle from a sheet of parchment paper. Hold the middle of the long side of the triangle between two fingers of 1 hand. Take the tip of the triangle on the short, wide end and roll it toward the other tip of that same end while simultaneously pulling it in an upward motion. The tip of a cone will form where your thumb and finger hold it on the long side.
• Release your grip from the long side, so that you are now holding the 2 corners where they meet. The paper will already resemble a partially formed cone.
• Roll the remaining tail until it is completely rolled into a cone. There will be 1 point sticking up from the open end. Fold it inside toward the center, and crease the fold. Now you should have a cornet. To close the cornet once it has been filled, fold it away from the seam; this will keep the seam from opening. Use a pair of scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut an opening at the tip of the cornet to the desired size.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Lay out several sheets of foil to spoon the hot peanut brittle onto.
• In a large skillet mix the sugar, syrup, and water together. Cook at a medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Heat until the mixture has a hard ball consistency. Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball. If you don't own a candy thermometer, occasionally hold spoon above mixture, allowing it to drip off spoon. When mixture is at hard ball stage, it will 'hair' off the spoon when falling, looking like a clear spider web.
• Once mixture is at hard ball consistency, add raw peanuts. (They will pop a little.) When mixture starts to turn a light clear-brown, as if it's starting to burn, remove from stove. Add soda and stir. Mixture will foam up.
• Spoon out bite-size pieces onto unbuttered foil, stirring constantly between each couple of pieces. Mixture can also be poured onto unbuttered foil as one big piece and broken into smaller pieces once cooled.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F. Butter 2 cookie sheets, 15 1/2x12 inches, and keep warm in oven. Mix baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla; reserve.
• Mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 240°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of syrup dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water.
• Stir in butter and peanuts. Cook, stirring constantly, to 300°F or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from heat. Quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.
• Pour half the candy mixture onto each cookie sheet; quickly spread about 1/4 inch thick. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store in covered container.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat two 12-by-17-inch baking sheets with vegetable spray.
• In a heavy 5-quart saucepan with lid, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cover pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes. Dissolve sugar by carefully swirling pot often over burner. Keeping lid on will prevent sugar crystals from forming; however, should crystals form, wash down sides of pot with a wet pastry brush.
• Once steam just begins to escape from pot, remove cover and reduce heat to medium. Insert candy thermometer, and continue to boil until temperature reaches 230 degrees (thread stage), about 1 minute.
• Add peanuts, stirring constantly with a metal spoon until mixture reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage) and is a rich golden brown, 13 to 18 minutes.
• Immediately remove from heat, and quickly add butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir with a metal spoon until butter melts; mixture will become foamy. Pour half of mixture down center of each pan, spreading evenly with a spatula. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour.
• Turn brittle out of pan, and snap it into shards.