Coconut Brittle

(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Coconut Brittle is a rich, toasty brittle recipe with loads of flavor from shredded coconut. If you thought brittles had to include peanuts or other nuts, you must try this coconut variation. It’s wonderful dipped in chocolate, eaten plain, or crushed and used on top of coconut cream pie or other desserts.

Yield: 1 lb coconut brittle

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside for now.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and salt over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar and butter dissolve, then insert a candy thermometer.

3. Cook the candy without stirring until it reaches 240 degrees F (115 C) on the thermometer. Once at 240, add the unsweetened coconut and stir it into the candy.

4. Once the coconut is added, you will need to be very vigilant and stir the candy frequently to prevent it from burning. It will be thicker and more difficult to stir, and might clump around the thermometer. The coconut will start to darken and the whole candy will get browner and have a toasty aroma, but with frequent stirring it should not blacken or burn.

5. Cook the candy until it reads 290 degrees F (143 C) on the candy thermometer.

6. Once at 290, remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. As the baking soda is added the candy will start to loosen up and foam up.

7. Pour the candy onto the foil-lined baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it into a very, very thin layer. This candy is better the thinner it is, so try to get it as thin as possible.

8. Once it has started to set but is still flexible, carefully use your hands to pull it thinner, as you would stretch peanut brittle.

9. Allow the Coconut Brittle to cool completely. Once cool, break it into small chunks. If you want, you can smear chocolate on the brittle before breaking it, or dip individual pieces in chocolate.

10.Coconut Brittle can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Click Here to View All Coconut Candy Recipes

View the original article here

Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle is a classic with a crunchy texture and rich, nutty taste. Be sure to check out the video showing how to make peanut brittle.

Prep Time: 30?minutes

Total Time: 30?minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups shelled and roasted peanuts
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 stick butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar is entirely moistened, then add the corn syrup and salt.

3. Cook the candy over medium-high heat until it reaches 225 degrees on a candy thermometer. At this point, add the peanuts and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches 290 degrees.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, baking soda, and peanut butter. Mix until well-combined, and then pour onto the prepared pan.

5. Spread the candy as thin as possible with a spatula or spoon and cool it to dry at room temperature. Once it is entirely cool, break it into small pieces to serve. Store the brittle in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature.

View the original article here

Microwave Peanut Brittle

(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Love peanut brittle but hate how long it takes to make? Then this Microwave Peanut Brittle recipe is for you! In less than 10 minutes your peanut brittle is fully cooked in the microwave. It's fast and easy, and I bet you won't even notice a difference from traditional peanut brittle. Try it with other nuts too!

Yield: about 1-1/4 lb

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp room temperature butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil very thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir until the corn syrup moistens the sugar—it will clump together like wet sand.

3. Microwave the bowl on high power for four minutes. The sugar mixture should be bubbling up and the nuts should start to look a little toasted. After four minutes, remove it carefully from the microwave and stir thoroughly with a spatula.

4. Microwave it for another four minutes on high power. At this point, the nuts should be fragrant and the sugar syrup a darker color. Now add the butter and vanilla extract and stir them in until well-combined.

5. Microwave the bowl for one more minute, then add the baking soda. As you stir it in, the candy will get very foamy and opaque. Keep stirring until all of the candy has a foamy texture, then pour the candy in a thin layer onto the prepared baking sheet.

6. Let the candy cool for a few minutes, then use well-oiled hands to carefully stretch and pull it thinner. The thinner you get the candy, the more "brittle" it will be, so work quickly and carefully, because it will be hot.

7. Let the peanut brittle cool completely at room temperature. When it's completely hard and set, break it into small pieces to serve. Store peanut brittle in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to two weeks. In heavy humidity, it might get soft and sticky after several days.

View the original article here

Microwave Peanut Brittle

Microwave Peanut Brittle seems like a joke, right? When I first heard of the concept, I totally thought it was going to be the candy equivalent of diet cookies--you know, the ones that bounce around in your mouth like styrofoam and have a chemical aftertaste, but you eat about a dozen of them because they're "healthier"? (Or am I the only one who does that?) Aaaanyhow, I was sure that a microwave couldn't caramelize the sugar enough to make a flavorful, and most importantly, CRUNCHY peanut brittle. I was expecting to end up with a sad, flabby puddle that was a poor imitation of the real thing.

Well, that shows what I know, because Microwave Peanut Brittle is awesome! It takes literally 9 minutes of cooking time, during which you have to stir it twice. That's 9 minutes in which you're free to do the dishes, dance around the kitchen, compulsively check your email a dozen times, or spontaneously compose a song called "I'm So Happy I'm Not Stirring Boiling Sugar Right Now." Compare this work load to regular peanut brittle, which involves quite a lot of stirring, and a lot of time, and a lot of candy thermometer-ing...it's exhausting.

It's not all fun and games, however. I still advise you to stretch out the brittle once it cools slightly, so it gets really thin and, well, brittle. But you could technically skip that step and still have a very respectable peanut brittle on your hands, for very little work. Just make sure I get a cut of the profits when "I'm So Happy I'm Not Stirring Boiling Sugar Right Now" goes platinum.

Get the recipe: Microwave Peanut Brittle

---

Get my Weekly Newsletter | Connect on Facebook | Find me on Twitter.

Microwave Peanut Brittle Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

View the original article here