Cherry Nut Brittle Recipes

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND-CHERRY BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil. Toss together the almonds, chocolate chips, orange zest and cherries in a small bowl, then spread them out in an even layer covering the entire baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring; instead, using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan a few times to incorporate any sugar stuck to the sides of the pan. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup turns golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour the caramelized sugar over the nut mixture on the baking sheet. (Be careful not to move the baking sheet at this point; it will be very hot.) Let cool for at least 2 hours.
• Break the brittle into pieces and place in bags for hungry trick-or-treaters.

TWO MINUTE PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Place the caramels in a bowl, and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or until melted and bubbly. Some microwaves may take longer. Stir in the peanuts, and pour out onto the prepared baking sheet. Press as thinly as you can. Cool completely, then break into pieces.

NUTTY BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
• Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray and place pan in warm oven. Spray a heavy small saucepan with cooking spray. Add caramels and stir over low heat until melted. Stir in toffee peanuts and continue stirring for a couple minutes. Spray a dull knife or metal off-set spatula with cooking spray. Remove pan from oven and then quickly spread caramel-peanut mixture over prepared pan. Cool completely; cover pan with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in refrigerator.

HAZELNUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, mix the sugar with the water until it looks like wet sand. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer without disturbing for 20 minutes, or until the mixture turns a light amber color.
• Spray a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the chopped hazelnuts out on the baking sheet. Pour the caramel over the hazelnuts and let sit for 10 minutes, or until hardened. Break into shards.

HOMEMADE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath, and set aside. Place almonds on parchment paper; spread out nuts to form a rectangle (9 by 12 inches). Follow recipe for basic caramel, adding salt to sugar. Remove caramel from heat, and set pan in ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Remove pan; let cool until slightly thick (the consistency of honey). Pour over nuts to cover. Let cool until hardened. Peel off parchment; break brittle into pieces.

MIXED NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Uncover and cook until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage)., Meanwhile, grease a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with 2 teaspoons butter; set aside. Place nuts in two ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pans; bake at 325° for 10-15 minutes or until warm. (Keep warm until ready to use.), Remove sugar mixture from the heat; carefully stir in the nuts, vanilla, salt and remaining butter. Quickly spread into prepared pan. Cool completely; break into pieces.

NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Brush a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with butter. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent any crystals from forming. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture reaches the soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer (238 degrees).
• Stir in the nuts; continue to cook, stirring often so the nuts do not burn, until the mixture is golden amber in color. Remove from heat.
• Carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam up in the pan. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and quickly spread with an oiled metal spatula. Set aside until completely cool. Break into pieces to serve. Brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.

QUICK PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Melt the sugar in a medium frying pan over a medium heat for 4-5 mins until caramelised - it should be a dark amber colour. Don't stir, as this causes the sugar to crystallise - instead, tilt the pan slowly so the sugar melts evenly.
• Add the peanuts, stir with a wooden spoon, then quickly and carefully tip onto the prepared tray. Immediately sprinkle over the sea salt flakes and leave to cool until set. Will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

MAPLE NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray lightly with cooking spray. Reserve 2 tablespoons of almonds and sprinkle the rest evenly over the foil.
• Combine brown sugar and maple syrup in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and caramel mixture comes to a full boil, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Turn oven off once preheated; place prepared baking sheet in the oven to warm.
• Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan with the caramel mixture. Add butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees F (149 degrees C) or until a small amount dropped into ice water forms a hard, brittle strand, about 20 minutes.
• Remove baking sheet from the oven and immediately pour the caramel mixture over the almonds. Spread evenly to about 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle remaining almonds and chocolate chips over open spaces. Spread chocolate evenly once melted. Let brittle cool completely, at least 30 minutes. Break into pieces.

HAZELNUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Combine sugar, vinegar, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cook until dark amber in color, 20 to 22 minutes. Stir in nuts.
• Oil an 11-by-17-inch baking pan. Pour hot mixture onto pan. Let set until firm but still soft enough to cut. Invert onto a cutting board, and unmold. Working quickly, use an oiled chef's knife to cut the sheet into six rectangles. Store brittle in an airtight container up to 1 week.

MULTI-NUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Generously butter a cookie sheet.
• In a large saucepan over high heat, cook sugar, water, and corn syrup until mixture reaches 280 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Slowly add nuts and cook, stirring, until temperature reaches 300 degrees; turn off heat.
• Carefully stir in butter and vanilla until blended; add baking soda and stir vigorously but cautiously; pour mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and spread as thinly as possible with a wooden spoon.
• Cool completely; Break cooled candy into pieces; store in airtight container.

MIXED NUT-CORNFLAKE BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with foil and heavily grease the foil; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and butter. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornflakes and nuts. , Spread into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Break into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.