Make this delicious nutty brittle a couple of days in advance. It tastes even more buttery as it sits. You may also substitute peanuts for the almonds and macadamia nuts.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond slivers
- 2 cups roasted macadamia nuts
- 1 tablespoon and 1/4 pound (1 stick) butter (9 tablespoons total), cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cold water
- Nonstick cooking spray
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C.).
Spread the almond slivers on a baking sheet and roast until very lightly browned, 7 minutes. Add the macadamia nuts and continue to roast until all nuts are lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn it down to 150 degrees F. (66 degrees C.), leaving the door open to cool the oven off. While nuts are still hot, stir in 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with popcorn salt. When the oven has had about 4 to 5 minutes to cool down, place the nuts back in the oven to keep warm.
Butter two 10 x 15 x 1-inch nonstick baking sheets or jelly-roll pans with 1 tablespoon butter. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3-quart heavy unlined saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat and stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. You should no longer be able to feel any grains of sugar against the bottom of the pan when you stir. Move pan off the heat and, with a wet pastry brush or wet paper towel, wipe any grains of sugar from the sides of the pan above the liquid level. Place pan back on heat. Clip on candy thermometer and bring syrup to a boil. Do not stir or shake.
Boil syrup to hard-crack stage (300 to 310 F. / 149 to 154 C.). Depending on the heat, this may take about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 pound butter. The temperature will drop. Continue heating until temperature comes back up to soft crack (270 to 290 F. / 132 to 143 C.). Remove from heat. Stir together baking soda, vanilla, and cold water in a small bowl. Stir in soda-vanilla mixture and continue to stir for 30 seconds or so. Candy will foam. Stir in nuts and continue stirring until all nuts are coated.
Pour onto the baking sheets. Spray two forks with nonstick cooking spray and use to pull the hot candy out as thin as possible. With a large spatula, turn candy over. When cool enough to handle, stretch with your fingers. Allow to cool completely, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight tin with wax paper separating layers of candy.
Yield: about 2-1/2 pounds
Variation: This brittle may be made with peanuts. Warm 3 cups canned roasted peanuts in a 150 degree F. (66 degrees C.) oven and substitute for the almonds and macadamia nuts. An unusual and delicious brittle may be made using 3 cups smoked almonds (about 2 small cans).
Source: Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher (William Morrow & Co)
Reprinted with permission.
Spread the almond slivers on a baking sheet and roast until very lightly browned, 7 minutes. Add the macadamia nuts and continue to roast until all nuts are lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn it down to 150 degrees F. (66 degrees C.), leaving the door open to cool the oven off. While nuts are still hot, stir in 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with popcorn salt. When the oven has had about 4 to 5 minutes to cool down, place the nuts back in the oven to keep warm.
Butter two 10 x 15 x 1-inch nonstick baking sheets or jelly-roll pans with 1 tablespoon butter. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3-quart heavy unlined saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat and stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. You should no longer be able to feel any grains of sugar against the bottom of the pan when you stir. Move pan off the heat and, with a wet pastry brush or wet paper towel, wipe any grains of sugar from the sides of the pan above the liquid level. Place pan back on heat. Clip on candy thermometer and bring syrup to a boil. Do not stir or shake.
Boil syrup to hard-crack stage (300 to 310 F. / 149 to 154 C.). Depending on the heat, this may take about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 pound butter. The temperature will drop. Continue heating until temperature comes back up to soft crack (270 to 290 F. / 132 to 143 C.). Remove from heat. Stir together baking soda, vanilla, and cold water in a small bowl. Stir in soda-vanilla mixture and continue to stir for 30 seconds or so. Candy will foam. Stir in nuts and continue stirring until all nuts are coated.
Pour onto the baking sheets. Spray two forks with nonstick cooking spray and use to pull the hot candy out as thin as possible. With a large spatula, turn candy over. When cool enough to handle, stretch with your fingers. Allow to cool completely, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight tin with wax paper separating layers of candy.
Yield: about 2-1/2 pounds
Variation: This brittle may be made with peanuts. Warm 3 cups canned roasted peanuts in a 150 degree F. (66 degrees C.) oven and substitute for the almonds and macadamia nuts. An unusual and delicious brittle may be made using 3 cups smoked almonds (about 2 small cans).
Source: Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher (William Morrow & Co)
Reprinted with permission.
