2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
3 cup unsalted raw cashew nuts, coarsely chopped
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Butter 2 baking sheets and set aside. Butter the sides of a 3-quart
saucepan, and add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and water. Stir over
low heat until the butter has melted. Increase the heat and bring the
mixture to a boil. Continue cooking over moderate heat, without
stirring, for about 20 minutes, until the temperature reaches 275
degrees F. (soft-crack stage) on a candy thermometer. Add the cashew
nuts and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the candy
thermometer registers 295 degrees F. (hard crack stage.) You may stir
occasionally, if necessary. Remove from the heat and immediately sift
the baking soda evenly over the surface. (Be careful---the syrup will
foam up.) Add the vanilla and stir to distribute the soda and vanilla
throughout the mixture. Pour at once onto the prepared baking sheets.
Tilt the sheets to spread the brittle about 1/2-inch thick. Allow to
cool until firm. Break the brittle into pieces and store in an
airtight container. Variation: Peanuts or other nuts can be added
instead of the cashews, or you can use a combination of several nuts.
Always choose the raw unsalted nuts that are available in health-food
and speciality stores. The nuts will cook and "toast" when added to
the hot syrup. Makes abouy 2 pounds.
Servings: 1 servings
Cashew Nut Brittle Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Candy; Nut
The History of Recipes
It is quite feasible to prove the history of transcribed cooking instructions back into the distant past, at least as far back into recorded history as the early Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Having said that, these, early records were just primitive pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing food.
In fact, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to historians is a collection of stone tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making people feel exhilarated. Progressing into Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius created a number of documents describing recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. He describes how the meals were divided into starters, entrees and desserts, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius also recounts how the cooks of Roman times used many spices, including many that are still in use today like bay, fennel and asafoetida. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us many foods, spices and herbs from the holy lands, including parsley and basil. The introduction of these new tastes was responsible for a surge in recipe books, some of which still exist in private collections. Over the succeeding few hundred years, the families of Europe competed with each other to serve up the best banquets, and consequentially the best cooks and their recipe collections were highly sought after. Notwithstanding that, it was during the 1800s that cookery and recipe publications became really popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to collecting, testing, and recording recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. The TV revolution gave us cooking programs and the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to access thousands of recipes like the ones you can find on this recipe site. |
We hope you enjoy this Cashew Nut Brittle recipe.
