How to make peanut brittle
January 1, 2012 29 Comments
I have actually forgotten about this sweet until my mom-in-law made a special request last Christmas as this is her favorite and she haven’t had it in years. I’ve been busy trying out new recipes of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, muffins and other sweets that I’ve already forgotten about my old repertoire of sweets.
In the Philippines, I remember buying it in Baguio City at the Good Shepherds’ Convent. They come in plastic jars and are best sellers together with the strawberry and ube (a type of purple yam) jams.
Because Baguio City is a long drive up northern Philippines, getting this peanut brittle is almost next to impossible. Being adventurous in the kitchen, I decided to make it myself. I forgot already how or where I got the recipe but I never forgot how.
The recipe is simple and requires very basic ingredients such as the following:
1 cup peanuts, roasted and roughly chopped
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup water
pinch of baking powder
You will also need a rolling pin and baking paper, greased or buttered. I use the baking spray as that is easier.
Cooking instructions:
1. Make the caramel. Place the sugar and water in a thick bottomed pan. Turn the heat to high and bring the water and sugar to the boil without stirring. Then lower the heat to medium-high and continue boiling. After about 8 minutes, the mixture will start to brown. Continue boiling until the liquid is the color of amber.
2. When the caramel has turned amber, add the baking powder and then the peanuts. Stir until all the peanuts are evenly coated with the caramel.
3. Pour into the greased baking paper and using the rolling pin, roll until evenly spread to about 1/4 cm. thickness. While still hot, cut into squares using a sharp knife.
I chose the hard way roasting the peanuts myself
Coarsely grinding the peanuts (you can also use roasted or fried peanuts and chop it roughly)
Roughly grounded peanuts
Boiling the sugar and water
After a while the sugar/water mixture starts to change color
When the caramel has turned into amber, add the pinch of baking powder
Add the chopped/grounded peanuts to the caramel and stir until evenly mixed
Peanut/caramel mix poured into greased baking paper and flattened using the rolling pin
Crunchy peanut brittle
About Malou
Delicious my friend.
/Ric
Thanks a lot, Ric. This is a favorite here especially with tea or coffee.
It amazes me that even as a diverse culture we share a lot in common! We make a similar bite snack called “chikki”, and the state in India I come from Jan is month when we make it as a part of traditional observance that coincides with a festival. It is made & consumed throughout the year; January has a special significance though.
http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2007/09/12/peanut-treatschikki/
You may also search for peanut chikki and you’ll see other variations to it too.
Wow, didn’t know that in India you also make this sweet. Checked the link and the only difference we have is that you add ghee and cardamon powder. I should try that as well.
Starting off a new year with a new recipe. My grandmother used to make peanut brittle – never got the recipe. Now I can start a new family tradition – thanks!!
I’m glad that you find this recipe worthwhile. I’m sure that you will enjoy it just as my family and friends here in Holland do.
looks awesome! happy 2012
Happy new year too, Eva.
I have never read anyone’s camping adventures in other countries, how cool! We really enjoy camping here and have camped all over the southeastern US.
Thanks for dropping by, Andi. We camped a lot here in Europe. The Dutch loves camping a lot and as soon as the camping season starts, you’ll see them with their campers, caravans or tents all across Europe. The joke is that being stingy, they bring their potatoes with them from home, ha, ha ha!
I got introduced to camping since meeting my hubby. We’ve camped quite a lot here in Europe and also in the US. The most recent camping we did was last summer in the South of France.
Looks like my mom used to make. Thanks for stopping by Spatoola.
You’ve got very interesting posts, Stacey. I’ll try your body scrub which looks pretty easy to make and with the cold weather, I need a good scrub that will leave my skin supple and soft instead of dry and rough.
This looks similar to my grandma’s famous peanut brittle. I will definitely try it!
I’m glad that this recipe is similar to your grandma’s famous peanut brittle. This is very popular with my family, colleagues and friends here.
Taiwanese make the peanut brittle into a big cube, and slide it to small pieces (like we slide the surface of wood), wrap it with some flour skin or etc… kind of nice snack.
It seems that peanut brittle is a universal sweet. Considering that the ingredients are pretty basic, I guess it’s pretty logical to find this sweet in many countries.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Malou. Your pictures are wonderful – so full of color and people orientated. I love to bake as well, so I look forward to your sharing more of your family recipes. Love the peanut brittle one. I may try it with almonds.
Peanut Brittle is my favourite so thanks for this. For Christmas someone bought me some chilli peanut brittle which was ….. interesting!
I hope that you can make this at home, Andrew. I can imagine that chili peanut brittle, must be from some exotic countries in Asia. I always have that experience when going to the Asian store looking for sweets that I remember from home. I would get the tamarind candies but the first time I had it here, I got shocked that it was with chili. It was from Thailand and of course, they love everything hot and spicy. In the Philippines, we use chillies sparingly and certainly not in anything sweet.
Hi Malou, Thanks for stopping by my blog. Being new to the blog world, it always amazes me when someone new finds me. Your blog and pictures are fantastic. I never realized how easy it is to make peanut brittle (and its vegan)! This will make a great treat for the kids this weekend. Thanks for sharing. We love to travel but have not yet had the opportunity to go overseas. Keep the pictures of the Dutch country coming and I’ll travel there through your blog. Thanks.
I’m glad that you like my blog. I’m also new in the blogging world so I’ve been doing a bit of checking other blogs which I find interesting. Food and travel are two areas that interest me and it is amazing to learn new things from other people across the globe. So here I am in my own way, sharing my little world and my adventures in the kitchen to anything Dutch and to holiday experiences. I’m looking forward to reading more of your blogs and I look forward to your stopovers on my blogs too.
Hi Malou: I was looking for a good peanut brittle recipe for the holidays, but everything seemed so over complicated, and i gave up. Yours looks simple and delicious. I’m definitely going to try it! I also like the looks of your fried chicken…. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
This is a very easy recipe to follow, Suzanne. I just made another batch again yesterday for my parents-in-law who love them.
Brittles can be so interesting….this looks tempting. I love your travelogue….since I will not be visiting any of those places in the near future, your pictures take me on a mini vacation!
Thanks a lot. You never know whether it is in the cards that you will be visiting these places.
I never thought as well that I will be living here and going on holidays across Europe.
Oh geeze… I absolutely LOVE peanut brittle! I’m going to try this as soon as i finish my peppermint bark… you are right the recipe is so simple! I cant help but want to try it now.
Yes, peanut brittle is the easiest to make among the sweets I do.
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