Tropical Brittle Recipes

BASIC BRITTLE

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet withcooking spray. Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook,swirling occasionally, until mixture just starts to turn golden around edge.
• Stir in mix-ins. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is pale amber, about 8 minutes. Pour onto baking sheet without spreading. Let cool. Break into pieces.

ALOHA BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter a large baking sheet with 1 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle coconut in a 12-in. circle on the prepared pan. In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 240° (soft-ball stage), stirring constantly. Stir in the macadamia nuts, pecans and remaining butter; cook and stir until the mixture reads 300° (hard-crack stage)., Combine the baking soda, water and vanilla. Remove saucepan from the heat; stir in the baking soda mixture. Quickly pour over the coconut. Cool before breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers.

TROPICAL TEA

Steps:

• Mix water, iced tea and juice concentrate in large pitcher.
• Serve over ice. Garnish with mint.

TROPICAL TRIFLE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat milk and pudding mix with wire whisk 2 minutes. Stir in orange peel. Let stand 5 minutes.
• In 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl, place half of cake cubes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the liqueur. Spoon 1 cup of the pudding over cake. Layer with pineapple, kiwifruit and remaining cake cubes. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon liqueur. Spoon remaining pudding over cake. Layer with mango and strawberries. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Sprinkle coconut in ungreased heavy skillet. Cook over medium-low heat 6 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently until browning begins, then stirring constantly until light brown. Cool completely; cover and set aside.
• Just before serving, sprinkle trifle with toasted coconut. Spoon down to bottom of dish to scoop out servings.

TROPICAL FRUIT SPLITS WITH RUM SAUCE AND CHILE-MACADAMIA BRITTLE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Stir together rum, boiling-hot water, and vanilla. Cook sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Remove pan from heat and carefully stir in rum mixture (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). (Pan is removed from the flame to prevent alcohol from igniting. If it does ignite, simply allow flames to burn out on their own.) Simmer sauce until smooth. Remove pan from heat and when bubbling subsides stir in butter. Cool sauce to room temperature.
• Grill fruit:
• Prepare grill for cooking. Standing mango upright, cut 1 lengthwise slice from each broad side of mango (be careful because peeled mango is slippery) and discard pit.
• Cut each papaya half lengthwise into thirds.
• Standing pineapple upright, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Halve bananas lengthwise. Sprinkle all fruit lightly on 1 side with chili powder.
• Grill fruit on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until grill marks form, about 1 minute. Turn fruit over and grill 1 minute more. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into decorative pieces.
• Coarsely chop three fourths of brittle, reserving remainder for garnish.
• Put 3 scoops ice cream into each of 8 dishes and top with grilled fruit and sauce. Sprinkle splits with chopped brittle and garnish with larger pieces of brittle and coconut.