9 - Minute Microwavable Peanut Brittle

Yield: Makes about 10 servings (1 pound of brittle)

Recipe via: Sharon Gibb via Callee Tolley / Mel's Kitchen Cafe

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1/2 cup light corn syrup

·         1 1/3 cups dry roasted or salted peanuts

·         1 tablespoon butter

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

 

1.   Butter a large baking sheet and set aside.

 

2.   In a large microwave-safe 8 cup measuring cup bowl, combine the sugar and corn syrup and microwave on high for 4 minutes until  light golden brown. Do not overcook.

 

3.   Stir. Stir in the peanuts Microwave for another 4 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter is completely melted. Microwave for 1 more minute. Stir in the baking soda immediately. The mixture will become very foamy and thick as you stir.

 

4.   Carefully spread the mixture onto the greased heated baking sheet. Set on a cooling rack.

 
  5.Cool completely. Break into pieces. The brittle can be made ahead and stored covered, at room temperature, for three days

Candied Cinnamon & Sugar Almonds {And Sugar Rush Begins!}

by Melhttp://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/12/candied-cinnamon-sugar-almonds-and-sugar-rush-begins.

To usher in this year’s Sugar Rush, please welcome these absolutely terrific and easy cinnamon sugared almonds. You know, like the kind you pay an armload for at the mall. The almonds are coated in a silky cinnamon and sugar coating that turns crunchy and candy-like in the oven. These babies are positively addicting and packaged in a cute tin or box and wrapped in a ribbon they make a delightful, edible holiday gift. The real bonus? They are easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy

*Makes about 2 cups of candied almonds

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg white

1 teaspoon cold water

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups unsalted almonds

***I used pecans instead, and they are fabulous.

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large (11X17-inch) rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form.

Add the water and vanilla and beat again until stiff.

Add the almonds to the mixture and stir gently to coat the almonds with the egg white mixture.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Add this mixture to the almonds and stir gently to mix well.

Pour the almonds out onto the prepared baking sheet and carefully spread them out into a somewhat even layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about an hour, stirring/flipping every 15 minutes, until the almonds look and feel dry. This will be messy and you’ll be questioning my sanity as it seems like all the coating is running off. Don’t worry, it works, I promise

To check to see if the almonds were done, I carefully picked one up in my fingers and when I pressed around it, I didn’t get any wet sugar on my hands. The coating on the almond felt hard and crunchy. If some of it stickily sticks to your fingers, they need more time in the oven.

These look just about perfect.

Cool completely before serving or packaging.

English Toffee

 Recipe via Louise Selk

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1/2 lb (1 cup) butter

Nuts optional

In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients.

Bring to a boil ~Stirring constantly and cook at medium-low heat

Cook 20 minutes from time starts to boil. Cook until mixture is a rich brown color or until a small amount dropped in cold water forms a ball
Time can depend on how chewy you want it
Pour into buttered pan

Cut into squares May be wrapped individually and kept in freezer

Almond Crunch
1 cup butter - Do not use margarine as a substitute for the butter; the water content is too high."
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 TBSP light corn syrup
3 TBSP water
1 cup coarsely ground almonds toasted
4 - 4 1/2 chocolate bars or
2 1/2 - 3 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.
Line a jelly roll pan with foil.

Melt butter in heavy 2 quart sauce pan
Add sugar syrup and water
Cook stirring constantly until mixture boils. Keep stirred or butter separates
Boil, without stirring, to hard crack stage - 300o (not quite)
** Watch carefully after 280o ~ burns easily
Working quickly, stir in almonds, and pour mixture and spread evenly into 9 x 13 greased foil lined pan
Sprinkle chocolate chips over candy brittle. Let stand about 5 minutes, or until shiny and soft. Spread chocolate evenly over candy. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces.

Tips:
When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat one notch from medium and stir occasionally - I've had no problem with a burned taste; (1) As others have said, buy a good candy thermometer - I purchased a digital candy thermometer from Williams Sonoma and love it; (2) Use a silicon spoon to stir the mixture - it won't stick to the spoon; (3) Put the jelly roll pan covered with aluminum foil or Release on one side of the stove, and turn on the burners to medium low. When the mixture is poured onto the hot pan, the pan stays hot and the mixture is easy to spread. Use the back of a large spoon sprayed with Pam to spread the mixture

I've tried the almonds per the recipe, toasted walnuts, unsalted roasted peanuts and toasted pecans. My favorite is the toasted pecans. I use 1 1/2 cups of toasted pecans in the mixture, and sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted pecans on the top

Do not use margarine as a substitute for the butter; the water content is too high."

Cocoa Truffles

Recipe Terri Ontkean
"Melt in your mouth Delicious but Addictive"

Sift together:
     1/3 cup cocoa
     3/4 cup + 2 TBSP icing sugar

Cream:
     1/2 cup butter

Add cocoa mixture and blend well
Take small teaspoons of the soft mixture and form into balls
Roll in coconut or chopped nuts
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving
Make about 30 candies

Fiddle Stix

Recipe via Joan Magrath
Pretzel sticks - fat size - (about 25)
1 recipe fo caramel
chocolate for dipping

Caramel recipe:
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups cream
1 1/4 cups butter
2 1/2 cups Rogers syrup
1 tsp vanilla
milk chocolate
sprinkles

chopped nuts

Cook ot consistency you like(on the soft side.

When luk warm, start dipping rods into caramel about 1/4 of the way down

Lay out on parchment and allow to cool

Wrap extra caramel around rod.

Then dip in cooled milk chocolate and cover the caramel

Allow to cool and accent with white chocolate (these babies are well name, but well worth the work!!)

Cashew Crunch

Recipe viaCarmen's Family Recipes

I was on a quest to find a recipe for a cashew crunch and I found this one online. Every year one of our local apple orchards sells this for $5.00 for a small package. The orchard's cashew crunch is delicious, but expensive and only available during apple season. Anyhow, this recipe comes very close and I think its a keeper. I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
10 oz. cashews (I used a bit more...I think my container was 14 oz. of toasted unsalted cashews.)

Instructions
Generously butter a large baking sheet. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, salt and corn syrup.
Cook, stirring until butter is melted.
Stir in the cashews and increase the heat to high.
Cook until temperature reaches 300 to 310 degrees, or until a small amount of the syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. (I used the thermometer.)
Stir frequently with a long handled wooden spoon so the cashews do not burn.
Pour onto the buttered baking sheet and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Break into pieces and store in an airtight wax paper lined container.