The Wong Ohana

Well, anyone like homemade candy???? Every year my Mom has an annual candy making party at her house. She has lots of friends who come, and they all make candy together just before the holidays. Everyone brings their own ingredients, cookie sheets, and tins to bring home their goods. Its a fun time for all as husbands, as well as wives, all participate in this great holiday event!! Well, as usual she had her party again this year, and when we went over to visit the other day, we found tins of our favorite Peanut Brittle and English Toffee!!

I have only attended one of these parties since I can’t make it without bringin it home, and I can’t bring it home - because I can’t really have the stuff in my house without eating it, and I can’t eat it without gaining a gazillion pounds (which I’m having quite a struggle with this past year - so you see where I’m going with this???), so as much as I love it, I usually just wait until AFTER the party, then come for a visit, and beg for a share of the spoils!! Hahahhahahaha!

Actually, this year, I even tried to get by with just a few bites at her house, then leave quickly before the urge to take some home hit, but of course, my husband, Gilbert, chimed in that he wasn’t leaving without some (it is seriously the best candy you’ve ever tasted!!), so we brought home a little baggy full! Of course, here it is just a day later, and its all but empty. Just one lone piece in the bottom of the baggy. *heavy sigh* its very sad - - -

But I did manage to remember to snap a picture before gobbling up those last few pieces, so I could post it here! Now I just have to think of a plausible excuse for that empty baggie with nothing but crumbs in it on the kitchen counter - - -

So let’s make some Candy!

PEANUT BRITTLE:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups white Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Karo Lite Syrup
• 1 pound RAW Spanish peanuts (make sure they are RAW)
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 TBS Butter
• 2 Cookie Sheets
• 1 Candy Thermometer

First you’ll want to prepare your cookie sheets so they’ll be ready when your brittle is done. Use a small amount of butter and spread over your cookie sheet so the brittle won’t stick, then set the sheets aside where they’ll be available when you’re ready to pour your hot mixture in. - and it will be HOT!!

Now we’re ready to start! In a large pot, pour in the Sugar, Karo Syrup, Butter and Peanuts. Cook slowly over a medium flame allowing the Sugar to disolve and the butter to melt. Hang your Candy Thermometer on the side of the pot so the tip is well into your mixture, and continue cooking this and stirring constantly.

Now this takes a fair amount of muscle power because you WILL be doing a LOT of stirring, and it is a thick mixture of Sugar and Peanuts!! I remember when I cooked a batch, my arms got so tired so quickly (I have arthritis and tire easily, but even so, it didn’t take long to poop out), and I had to have my husband do the stiring for me. Luckily he loves this Brittle so much he didn’t mind doing the stirring!

Make sure that you have the Candy thermometor hanging on the side of your pot all this while because you are going to keep on cooking and stirring until you reach 310 degrees on the thermometer, which is a Hard Crack Stage. You want to make sure you don’t burn the bottom or sides, so keep that spoon moving around the pot and keep the mixture moving.
Once you’ve reached your 310 degrees, remove the pot from the heat, and add in the 2 TBS Baking soda and mix well until all the foam is gone.

Next Pour your mixture onto your buttered cookie sheets and spread it out quickly. This is going to be extremely hot, so be very careful while pouring, and don’t get burned!! Its not necessary to have it go completely to the sides in a perfect line, because you’re going to be breaking it up into small pieces anyway, so just pour out about half your mixture onto one sheet, half onto the second sheet and start spreading it out depending on the thickness of candy that you want.

Good tip here, get that pot immediately into the sink and fill with water covering all the way to where the “candy line” is. Its SOOOOO much easier to clean than if you wait until it hardens and dries on your pot!!!
Now, let your candy cool on the cookie sheets. Once cooled down, its ready to break up into smaller pieces. Don’t worry, you’ll know when its ready. If you grab it too early your fingers will start to burn and you’ll be hopping and jumping all over the kitchen running for an ice bag!! So have patience, and allow it to cool before you rush in there with your fingers! It doesn’t take that long, and you’ll be cracking and gobbling up the first pieces soon enough. And once you get started you seriously won’t be able to quit. This is soooo addicting!!

This recipe makes quite a bit, and you’ll have plenty to share with family and friends, that is if you don’t eat it all up first!! It makes a great addition to a holiday treat platter, and your co-workers will love you forever if you bring some into the office.

This really is the best Peanut Brittle you can find anywhere. so be careful who you give it to - anyone who tastes it will be back for more!!!

Just remember for it to stay fresh and “brittle”, you’ll want to keep it in a closed tin, or a sealed candy jar. We usually separate the “layers” with a sheet of waxed paper so they don’t stick together if kept in a tin for any length of time.

Well, that’s it for this recipe - its really very quick and easy!!! - - - and while I was typing, I gobbled up that last piece that “was” left in the baggy! As my daughter would be quick to point out - “WAS” is the “operative word” in that sentence - - -

Good thing Gilbert’s out playing poker with the boys - maybe he’ll forget all about the candy that “WAS” on the counter before he left????

- - - * NOT * - - - Oh, I’ve been a very bad girl tonight!!! No present under the tree for me! )
Well, I hope you like this recipe! And if you do, maybe you’ll host your own candy making party. Its a fun and different idea for a holiday get together, and you’ll be surprised how everyone will jump at the idea to do it again next year! You can even switch and rotate whose house its going to be at.

So, if you like this recipe, and I know you will, keep coming back, I’ll be posting one for English Toffee real soon!!!

Filed under: Cooking on December 7th, 2006