Peanut Brittle Squares

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Brittle is a type of confection, consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy embedded with nuts such as pecans, almonds, or peanuts.

A mixture of sugar and water is heated to the hard crack stage corresponding to a temperature of around 300 °F (approx. 150 °C). Nuts are mixed with the caramelized sugar. At this point spices, leavening agents, and often peanut butter or butter are added. The hot candy is poured out onto a flat surface for cooling, traditionally a granite or marble slab. The hot candy may be troweled to uniform thickness. When the brittle cools, it is broken into pieces.

Peanut brittle is a specialty of Baguio. It is sold not only on the streets and specialty shops in Baguio but also in big department stores all over the country. 

I first encountered Peanut brittle squares when I was in elementary. It was a sweet pick that I insist my mom buys me everytime she goes to the market.

Ingredients:

1 cup of shelled roasted peanuts 

1/2 cup of sugar 

3/4 cup of milk 

1/4 cup of sugar for the pastry board Equipment needed:

Equipments needed:


meat grinder
saucepan
spatula
rolling pin
knife or cookie cutter
cooking spoon


Procedure:

1. Put the peanuts through a meat grinder with a medium blade and start grinding. 


2. Place nuts in a saucepan with the 1/2 cup of sugar and the milk. Mix well. 

3. Place the peanut mixture over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves. 

4. Lower the flame and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Do this for about 15 minutes until mixture gets very thick.

5. When the mixture is so thick that you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir, remove from heat.

6. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of sugar on the pastry board. Turn the peanut mixture out onto the sugar and flatten it out with a spatula. 

7. Allow it to cool so you can handle it. 

8. Next roll it out with a rolling pin until the mixture is about 1/4 inch thick. 


9. With a knife, cut the mixture into small squares or with a cookie cutter. 

10. Remove the cookies from the pastry board with a spatula.


Tip: You can wrap each peanut brittle square separately with Japanese paper for best presentation. Store in an air tight sealed jar. 


A video on how to make peanut brittle using microwave.