If you love making sweet treats for friends, family, co-workers, and just about everyone you know, you are going to love this Trio of Brittle! I have been making brittle for at least 10 years, maybe longer. It all started when I wanted to make a gift for some long time friends, and I could not decide what to make for them. Having had known them a while, they had already tried it all! So I came up with these brittles, and about 10 other flavors, and the rest is small time history!
Today I made Hot and Spicy Peanut Brittle, Cashew Brittle, and Turtle Brittle. If you have never made brittle before, you should know that it requires patience, and a really, really good candy thermometer! But homemade brittle is worth the time and energy. Once you make this, you will never buy it again. You will make it forever, mostly because your friends and family will always want more!
A Trio of Brittle
(Printable recipe at end of post)
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 cup Water
3 cups Cashew Pieces or (1 cup caramel bits+1 cup chopped chocolate + 2 cups Pecans) or (25 ounces of Hot and Spicy Peanuts)
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Butter
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
Pan Spray
Baking Sheets or Shallow Pans
This is the basic brittle recipe. In the recipe above I have listed “3 cups of Cashew Pieces” as an ingredient. That is the only ingredient that changes. The rest of the recipe stays the same. So, lets make Cashew Brittle first!
Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook slowly until the sugar dissolves. The temperature needs to reach 275 degrees in about 40-45 minutes. I always use 2 thermometers when making candies. Just in case!
Add the cashew pieces. I buy these at Trader Joes, and I love them for snacks! Cook until the temperature reaches 295 degrees, about 15 or 20 minutes longer. While the mix is coming up to temperature, spray the baking sheet with a light coating of pan spray, and set aside.
Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add salt and baking soda. The mix will start to change color and rise in the pan. Stir quickly.
Quickly pour it onto the baking sheet, spreading it out as evenly as you can. Set aside to cool completely.
Let’s make the Turtle Brittle by boiling the sugar, corn syrup and water together until the temperature reaches 275 degrees.
Add only 2 cups of pecans and continue cooking until the mix reaches 295 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Add salt and baking soda and stir. Pour mixture onto baking sheet. Spread mix as evenly as possible.
Begin dropping the caramel bits and the chopped chocolate onto the mix. As it sits on the brittle, it will begin to melt into the mix. If you want to push the caramel bits down into the mix more, use a flat spatula. The mix is still very hot. Set aside to cool completely.
For the Spicy Peanut Brittle, once again let the first three ingredients cook until they reach 275 degrees.
Add the spicy peanuts until the temperature reaches 295 degrees, Remove from heat Add butter and stir. Add salt and baking soda and stir immediately.
Quickly pour onto baking sheet and evenly spread. Let cool.
Let all the brittles sit until completely cooled. It takes about 20 minutes for each.
Once the brittle is cooled off, begin to crack the bars. They will randomly crack in their own way. I like small bite size pieces, but they don’t always break that way. Store in sealed bags or containers until you are ready to give them as gifts or enjoy yourself!
Thank you so much for joining me today! If you have any questions or concerns about this recipe, please leave me a message in the comments and I will answer you promptly!
Thank you to Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for hosting today’s gift giving challenge!
Scroll down to see what yummy goodies #SundaySupper members have been creating!
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- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 3 cups Cashew
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Butter
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 cups Pecans
- 1/2 cup Caramel Bits
- 4 ounce Chocolate Chunks
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Butter
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 25 ounces Hot and Spicy Peanuts
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Butter
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook slowly until the sugar dissolves. The temperature needs to reach 275 degrees in about 40-45 minutes. I always use 2 thermometers when making candies. Just in case!
- Add the cashew pieces. Cook until the temperature reaches 295 degrees, about 15 or 20 minutes longer. While the mix is coming up to temperature, spray the baking sheet with a light coating of pan spray, and set aside.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add salt and baking soda. The mix will start to change color and rise in the pan. Stir quickly.
- Quickly pour it onto the baking sheet, spreading it out as evenly as you can. Set aside to cool completely.
- Once the brittle is cooled off, begin to crack the bars. They will randomly crack in their own way. I like small bite size pieces, but they don’t always break that way. Store in sealed bags or containers until you are ready to give them as gifts or enjoy yourself!
- Let’s make the Turtle Brittle by boiling the sugar, corn syrup and water together until the temperature reaches 275 degrees.
- Add only 2 cups of pecans and continue cooking until the mix reaches 295 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Add salt and baking soda and stir. Pour mixture onto baking sheet. Spread mix as evenly as possible.
- Begin dropping the caramel bits and the chopped chocolate onto the mix. As it sits on the brittle, it will begin to melt into the mix. If you want to push the caramel bits down into the mix more, use a flat spatula. The mix is still very hot. Set aside to cool completely.
- Once the brittle is cooled off, begin to crack the bars. They will randomly crack in their own way. I like small bite size pieces, but they don’t always break that way. Store in sealed bags or containers until you are ready to give them as gifts or enjoy yourself!
- For the Spicy Peanut Brittle, once again let the first three ingredients cook until they reach 275 degrees.
- Add the spicy peanuts until the temperature reaches 295 degrees, Remove from heat Add butter and stir. Add salt and baking soda and stir immediately.
- Quickly pour onto baking sheet and evenly spread. Let cool.
- Once the brittle is cooled off, begin to crack the bars. They will randomly crack in their own way. I like small bite size pieces, but they don’t always break that way. Store in sealed bags or containers until you are ready to give them as gifts or enjoy yourself!
